November 2009

Reader Rant: America is the richest country in the world but Americans can’t afford to live here.

November 30, 2009 by Source
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by Molly Macquire

America IS – still – the richest country in the world. Yet Americans cannot afford to live here. Let me share two brief stories with you of friends I have run into recently. Both friends are leaving America because they can’t do it any longer – they cannot afford to live here.

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90 Positive accomplishments by President Obama in his first six months

November 30, 2009 by Source
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[Editor’s Note: I have published this list – followed by a progressive critique – as a counter-pole to the anguish progressives and leftists feel right now, on the eve of President Obama’s announcement of additional US troops being sent to Afghanistan. Some progressives are ready to throw Obama out of office because of his Afghanistan “surge.” This is basically a list of positives and there are many items on this list that progressives will disagree with, will consider to be cosmetic, or will fault for a lack of follow-through — and there are without doubt a lot of negatives not included. But we think this is an impressive list just the same.]

By Robert P. Watson

I am always being asked to grade Obama’s presidency. In place of offering him a grade, I put together a list of his accomplishments thus far. I think you would agree that it is very impressive. His first six months have been even more active than FDR’s or LBJ’s — the two standards for such assessments.

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OB Flashes – News, Calendar, and Discussion Board – November 30 – December 6, 2009

November 30, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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OB Elementary Selected as Grand Marshall of Holiday Parade – Convertible Wanted
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Point Loma school cluster wants in on District budget discussions
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Library hours, beach clean-ups, 200 workers and cop horses to be cut in Mayor’s budget
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Food and Toy Drive for local families gears up – Volunteers welcomed
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Jetty Project manager claims boulder placement key to jetty repair
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Anna Daniels nominated to have room named after her in new Central Library

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Demonstation called for day-after President Obama’s Afghanistan escalation

November 30, 2009 by Source

President Obama is likely to announce on Tuesday, December 1 an escalation in Afghanistan

SDCPJ calls for a Demonstration The Day After his announcement

35,000 new US occupation troops next year

$35 billion more to pay for the war and occupation

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An Open Letter to President Obama from Michael Moore on Afghanistan

November 30, 2009 by Source
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Dear President Obama,

Do you really want to be the new “war president”? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do — destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they’ve always heard is true — that all politicians are alike. I simply can’t believe you’re about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn’t so.

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What Is the Role of the Artist-Intellectual in Society?

November 29, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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by Frank Gormlie

Some Musings ….

[Reposted 06/29/08. Originally posted 11/08/07]

What is the role of the artist – the intellectual artist – in modern society? If the role of the artist is obviously and intrinsically tied to the role of art, then what is the role of art? In modern society? Or in any society?

Art reflects reality at the very least. Art is humanity’s attempts to recreate reality, to create reflections of reality – and imagination & creativity are part of reality – thus also reflections of imagination; but then what is ‘good’ art? How is it separate & distinct from ordinary or ‘bad’ art?

The role of the artist then is connected to the role of art, in whatever medium – oil on canvas, watercolor, charcoal, pencil, colored pens, other canvas work, photography, computer art, sculpture, performance art, theater, movies, TV, poetry, novels, literature, music, dance, …………… cave paintings, ………

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Mayor Sanders is Gunning for our Libraries – Again!

November 28, 2009 by Anna Daniels
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by Anna Daniels

Yes- it is “déjà vu all over again.” This time last year Mayor Sanders proposed closing 7 branch libraries, including Ocean Beach. Ocean Beach responded immediately. Ocean Beach responded unequivocally- DO NOT CLOSE OUR LIBRARY! A number of you were even willing to participate in non-violent civil disobedience by forming a human chain around your library in the event of closure.

Your response so inspired and encouraged me personally that I became involved with a city-wide effort to rally all of the communities against the closure of the other 6 branch libraries. We mobilized quickly, acted in unity and we won. Read about it here and feel very, very good. Just don’t feel so good that you think you should bow your collective heads to this year’s proposed library cuts. That would be so not-OB.

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Still in Pursuit of the Good Old Days

November 28, 2009 by Ernie McCray
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by Ernie McCray

My Nancy has been gone for a few months now and I’m slowly getting back up on my feet to continue on the path she and I trod together for thirty-four years.

In spite of the sudden moments of pain that slow me down now and again I will strive to keep my eyes forever on the prize and hope she’s looking down on me with pride as I, more importantly, in the vernacular of the day, try to “keep it real” and not lose sight that changing the world is not the kind of enterprise that should be overly glamorized. Such thinking is based on how we used to laugh at how so many people rave about “The Good Old Days,” remembering events in their lives as, basically, little white lies.

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Weekend in the Wasteland

November 26, 2009 by Source
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by Larry OB

I recently attended the Road Warrior Weekend up in the Mojave Desert. It was a costumed campout for fans of the Mad Max movie trilogy. Sort of a post apocalyptic renaissance fair. The costumes and vehicles spanned all three movies. We had the good cops of the MFP (Main Force Patrol), and the bad cops of the Gay Boy Beserkers. The wearing of a metal-studded cod piece was usually a good way to quickly judge the threat level of an approaching cop.

The gathering was generally well behaved. The event organizer prudently forbade live ammunition, but there were enough real homemade weapons to give things an element of danger. Axes made from sprocket gears, and knives welded to steering wheel clubs.

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The dilemma of the disenchanted progressive: why it’s important for Ocean Beach – Part III

November 24, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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by Frank Gormlie

The dilemma of the disenchanted progressive has come full circle. If the progressive is disenchanted and deeply puzzled, what about the progressive community – what about a place like Ocean Beach?

This then is the third and final part of the series. In Part 1, I presented what I see as this dilemma for disenchanted progressives: as people on the political left we are disenchanted about the tempo and types of changes that President Obama has ushered in to date. And yet, as I discuss in Part 2, this country is facing a mass movement that represents an American brand of fascism, and it’s gunning for President Obama.

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Blackwater’s Secret War in Pakistan

November 23, 2009 by Source
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By Jeremy Scahill / The Nation / November 23, 2009

At a covert forward operating base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, members of an elite division of Blackwater are at the center of a secret program in which they plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, “snatch and grabs” of high-value targets and other sensitive action inside and outside Pakistan, an investigation by The Nation has found. The Blackwater operatives also assist in gathering intelligence and help run a secret US military drone bombing campaign that runs parallel to the well-documented CIA predator strikes, according to a well-placed source within the US military intelligence apparatus.

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OB Flashes – News, Calendar and Discussion Board – November 23-29, 2009

November 23, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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Last Spring’s Annual OB Heathen Parade Drew Police Wrath
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Hodad’s to open 2nd restaurant in downtown San Diego
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OB Architects Win Small Orchid
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(Another) OB Comic-Con Founder Passes – Ken Krueger
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Scientists search for bugs on Navy’s Point Loma Base
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Open Letter to Mayor Sanders from Friends of the OB Library

November 23, 2009 by Source
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The Honorable Mayor Jerry Sanders:

The Friends of the Ocean Beach Library recently met and it was decided to write you about the impending budget situation, particularly as it might apply to our own Ocean Beach Library. We want to be involved in bringing possible ideas forward to you and the City. We wanted to share with you four thoughts that we came up with:

1. Any cuts that might come to the library system, should be shared equally among all libraries and library departments.

2. Closing all libraries one day a week, possibly on a weekend.

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The Breast Cancer 3-Day in Ocean Beach – Photo Gallery

November 22, 2009 by Staff
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Photographers Jim Grant’s view of the Ocean Beach leg of the San Diego 3-Day walk for Breast Cancer. Do you have some photos or an account of the 3-Day you want to share? Send them to us at OBRagBlog@gmail.com

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It’s been a year since the passing of Rick Nadeau

November 22, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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It has been one year since our good friend and fellow blogger Rick Nadeau passed. Rick died November 20th, 2008, after fighting cancer gallantly for two years. He had been writing for this blog since we started, and wrote for a newsmagazine/ online journal in Sacramento, where he lived with his spouse, Diana Tumminia.

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Poll shows doubts about Swine Flu vaccinations

November 21, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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OCEAN BEACH, CA. Many of the respondents in our recent poll about the Swine Flu expressed doubts about vaccinations and believed it was much to do about nothing. 73% of those who voted either felt it was not important for them to be vaccinated or the whole thing was “a lot of hype and hysteria.”

34% stated that it was not important for them to be vaccinated. And even more, 39%, …

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Union reformists file federal complaint against SEIU Local 221

November 21, 2009 by Source
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A federal complaint was filed Monday against the results of recent union elections conducted by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 221, in San Diego. The complaint charges massive voter disenfranchisement and illegal conduct by election officials and by incumbent candidates.

Filed by Reform221, a group advocating a broad range of union democracy reforms, the complaint seeks nullification of the elections and a new election under the supervision of the U.S. Secretary of Labor. Reform221 charges that hundreds of union members were denied the right to vote and were not sent mail ballots.

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OB Fire Hoopers Win! All found not guilty of illegal fire

November 19, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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by Frank Gormlie

All four of the fire hoopers who were cited by police last June here in Ocean Beach, were found not guilty this afternoon of having an illegal fire. The judge in the case, Commissioner Peter Doft declared at the end of the infraction trial that he “can’t cite these women for this conduct. This (Municipal Code) section does not apply to this conduct.”

Sarah Edgar, Heidi Estevez, Aesha Shapiro, and Allison Walkey had been cited on June 5th for violating the San Diego City law against having fires in Ocean Beach Park – near Dog Beach. They were all members of a troupe of fire performers called Hoop Unit, managed by Valentina “Unity” Martin, and were practicing at night with their lit hoops.

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The Book Nook: How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer

November 19, 2009 by Doug Porter
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by Doug Porter

The Boeing 737 was at seven thousand feet descending into San Diego’s Lindbergh Field from the west, due to weather conditions, when the left engine caught fire. Bells and horns sounded immediately within the cockpit, warning the pilots of multiple system failures. The plane immediately reacted to the emergency cutoff of fuel to the affected engine by banking steeply. The pilots struggled to steer the plane as it veered first one way, then the other, but their efforts were in vain.

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Arkansas cop tasers 10-year-old girl, local mayor calls for investigation

November 18, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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Editor: Once in awhile, there’s a story that we just cannot ignore. I know this has nothing to do about Ocean Beach, but it is an incredibly outrageous report, and goes to show at what level we have sunk to as a society.

OZARK, ARKANSAS. In a small town in this state, a police officer arrived at a home where he had been summoned for a domestic dispute. Officer Dustin Bradshaw found a ten year old girl curled up on the floor of her home, screaming and kicking at her mother, who was trying to get her to take a shower before bedtime.

“Her mother told me to tase her if I needed to,” Bradshaw wrote in his report …

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Reader Rant: Does OBMA rent to anyone during Farmers’ Market?

November 18, 2009 by Source
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by OB Anonymous

The Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association. Will they rent spaces to anyone during The Farmers Market? It appears so.

Perhaps I’m alone out there but I would think that one of the roles of the OBMA is to support the local business’s on the 4900 block of Newport. It’s not bad enough that there is a significant drop in revenue from having all the parking spaces taken from 4900 block merchants, but now, to add insult to injury, they seem to be working against local merchants by renting spaces to jewelry vendors, massage therapists, clothes vendors, hot food booths etc etc etc. How does that help the tax paying businesses on the 4900 block of Newport Avenue?

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Is there a medical marijuana patient in the San Diego DA’s office?

November 18, 2009 by Source
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By Eugene Davidovich

Medical cannabis, although legal to use in California, is not as easy to obtain as some may think. Unlike doctor prescribed medication which is readily available at the local pharmacy, medical cannabis is neither recommended nor prescribed, and therefore isn’t available for purchase as a prescription. It requires a different distribution and production method.

To achieve medical grade and maximum therapeutic efficacy, cannabis must be carefully cultivated under strict lighting, watering, and maintenance schedules. Medical cultivation requires both expertise in cultivation and hefty equipment setup costs.

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Vaccination: A Conversation Worth Having

November 17, 2009 by Source
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by Bill Maher

While America is still in the grips of swine flu mania, let me use this opportunity to clear up a few things about my beliefs concerning the flu shot, vaccines, and health in general. I do this because there is obviously a lot of curiosity about this subject of vaccines — it comes up in every interview I do these days, and I’ve been finding that people, including doctors, are privately expressing a skepticism that is still not very prevalent in public. I feel like I’ve become a confessor for people who want someone to be raising questions about vaccines.

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Nearly 50 Million Americans Scrounge for Food

November 17, 2009 by Source
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The nation’s economic crisis has catapulted the number of Americans who lack enough food to the highest level since the government has been keeping track, according to a new federal report, which shows that nearly 50 million people — including almost one child in four — struggled last year to get enough to eat.

At a time when rising poverty, widespread unemployment and other effects of the recession have been well documented, the report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides the government’s first detailed portrait of the toll that the faltering economy has taken on Americans’ access to food.

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Waiting for the Mayor’s budget … to see what it says about libraries

November 16, 2009 by Anna Daniels
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by Anna Daniels

A recent comment stated how difficult it is to figure out the City budget situation. And I agree with that. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the Mayor’s mid year budget adjustment on the 22nd of November. Remember last year? We were fighting for libraries and parks. In reality, it has been an ongoing battle for the activists among us for 4 straight years now.

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Protest At Dog Beach Aimed At NFL’s Animal Cruelty Policy

November 16, 2009 by Doug Porter
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by Doug Porter

Philadelphia Eagles third string quarterback Michael Vick has drawn protests from animal rights groups around the country this fall, and San Diego was no exception. Members of the San Rafael-based In Defense of Animals staged a small demonstration at Dog Beach on Sunday and police radio reports from Qualcomm Stadium indicated that protesters were picketing entrances to the Chargers-Eagles match up on Sunday.

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OB FLASHES: News, Calendar & Discussion Board – November 13 – 19, 2009

November 14, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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“Eber Street Man” has a new message
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Guinness World Record Holder Visits Dog Beach
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Join Animal Rights Activists to Protest Michael Vick at OB’s Dog Beach – Sunday, Nov. 15th
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3 Day Breast Cancer Walk to Pass Through OB
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OBcean a dissenting voice on Medical Marijuana Task Force
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Newport News
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OB Holiday News

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New Fire Chief contemplates “beach closures” due to budget cuts

November 13, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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San Diego’s new head of the Fire Department, Fire Chief Javier Mainer, has been tasked by Mayor Jerry Sanders to cut $34.7 million from his budget, which includes fire departments, medics, and life guards. In a recent interview with KPBS he indicated that”beach closures” are on the table.

Chief Mainer said San Diego citizens may see less fire engines and fewer lifeguards. This could mean beach closures.

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Ocean Beach and Sunset Cliffs Cut Out of Marine Coastal Sanctuaries

November 13, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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OCEAN BEACH, CA. For some reason, Ocean Beach and Sunset Cliffs were cut out of the Blue Ribbon Task Force’s recommendations for Southern California coastal marine sanctuaries.

We had reported earlier that Ocean Beach and Sunset Cliffs had been included in proposals for redesigning California’s system of marine protected areas along the southern coast, as well, of course, other parts of San Diego County. Marine experts have been putting together proposals for a year. The OB coast had been considered one of the chief areas of contention.

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Jim Carroll Vs Ronald Reagan

November 13, 2009 by Michael Steinberg
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Jim Carroll’s death on September 11 brought back a lot of memories. His burst into popular consciousness in the early 1980s with The Jim Carroll Band happened when I was living in San Francisco.

Ronald Reagan was just coming to power, and would soon axe my job as a tenant organizer. This job been funded by the federal government though a program created by the Carter administration.

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