May 2010

Ocean Beach Town Council Is Accepting Applications for Grants

May 14, 2010 by Staff

The OB Town Council is now accepting applications for grants that the Council will fund for the year 2010. Through the Ocean Beach Tree Festival Committee, the OBTC provides organizations and groups an opportunity to receive funds, raised by its Annual Tree Festival.

Last year the OBTC provided over $15,000 to a wide variety of organizations.

Riyadh Calling … Working Here

May 14, 2010 by John M. Williams

by John M Williams / Special to the OB Rag / May 14, 2010

Let me set the stage. The school I work in is a remedial college designed as a feeder for King Saud University (KSU). My school is called the Preparatory Year Program (PYP). Students take courses in English, physics, chemistry, biology, math, IT and a group of business related subjects.

The organization is a little complex, but let me try. At the top is King Abdullah. Then comes the Ministry of Education. Next is KSU. KSU contracted with a Saudi company named Obekan. Obekan hired Bell, a United Kingdom-based English language teaching charitable trust associated with Cambridge University. Bell recruited teachers, created the administrative structure, and runs the school on a day to day basis. The role of Bell is rather like that of a middle manager; they have very little real power, but are the face of the organization to teachers and students.

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Chemicals and Secret LSD: Pentagon Details Cold War Mind-Control Tests

May 13, 2010 by Source

by Katie Drummond / wired / May 11,2010

More than 30 years after it was written, the Pentagon has released a memorandum detailing its involvement in the CIA’s infamous Cold War mind-control experiments.

But a warning to conspiracy theorists on the lookout for new fodder: This isn’t quite Men Who Stare at Goats II.

The 17-page document (.pdf), “Experimentation Programs conducted by the Department of Defense That Had CIA Sponsorship or Participation and That Involved the Administration to Human Subjects of Drugs Intended for Mind-Control or Behavior-Modification Purposes,” was prepared in 1977 by the General Counsel of the Department of Defense and released on May 6 after a Freedom of Information Act request.

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Hey, Did You Know There’s An Election Coming Up? – Part One

May 13, 2010 by Doug Porter

California’s June Primary Is Rushing Towards Us

by Doug Porter

(Editor: The opinions expressed in this posting are not necessarily those of the OB Rag or its advertisers. Please feel free to add your two cents in the comments section, provided that you remain somewhat civil.)

No matter how insignificant the ballot measures, how swarmy the candidates are, I feel obliged to do my bit to keep democracy alive when the opportunity presents itself.

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Local OB artist creating mobile community mural

May 13, 2010 by Jon Carr

by Jon Carr

Ahhh…Ocean Beach, it’s beside the point. It’s an attitude, not an address, it’s a bastion for bohemian drifters, free thinkers, artists, bikers, and an occasional right wing nut-job. But we love it. We thrive on it. It’s our home.

While on a leisurely bike ride the other day, I was reminded of another reason I love OB; because OB has been keepin’ it weird since before I was born, and local artist Robert Guenther is no exception.

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Cooling It

May 13, 2010 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

Is there anything in the world as cool as just “cooling it,” you know, kicking back in your comfy jeans, and that nice fitting tee-shirt you found in Borrego Springs, some broken in running shoes, acting and feeling like you just know you’re cool.

Talking about a little respite from rising everyday and entering into Twilight Zone like scenes wherein wee-minded anti-this and anti-that beings scurry about frightened to death of life, all caught up in their “America Love it or Leave It” proclivities and philosophies.

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OB FLASHES – News, Calendar, Whatever – May 12th

May 12, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

– ALL LINKS AND STORIES INSIDE –
* Young at Art Beautify Corner at Cable and Newport
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* Deadline for OB Historical Society Annual Photo Exhibit and Contest Extended to May 19th (was May 13th)
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* Fire Rings Saved But Watch What You Burn
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* OB’s Sacred Heart Parish School Family Festival- May 15
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* Rummage Sale to Pay for OB Elementary’s 4th Grade Sea Camp
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* OB Planning Board to Discuss Sunset Cliffs Traffic at Project Review Meeting on May 19th
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* Planning Board Fills Vacant Seat in District 3
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* Peace Movement to Hold “Die-In” Against the Drones Made by General Atomics May 19th
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* City opens bidding for OB Pier Café concession
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* OB Beach Ball – CANCELED until 2011
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* School Board Candidate Forum at Liberty Station – May 20th
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* Coffee Party to Stage Tour of San Diego’s Mega-Banks – May 21st
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* OB Friends of Library Book Sale – June 19th

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What Van Jones Said: “3 Problems that must be solved.”

May 12, 2010 by Source

Three problems in the US today that have to be solved.

1. New economy must be created as the prior economy of borrow and no production has failed. Must create an economy based on production.

2. Cheap energy bubble has popped …

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Van Jones Speaks at UCSD Despite Tea Baggers’ Protest

May 12, 2010 by Source

by Carl Manaster / Special to the OB Rag / May 12, 2010

Van Jones spoke to a nearly full house last night at UCSD’s Price Center. The crowd was diverse – old and young, multiracial, male and female, and most notably right and left.

Supporters – from the left – made up the bulk of the crowd, but probably five percent were from the other side, holding signs that accuse Jones of having an “evil” agenda, calling him a “radical communist”, and calling his green jobs “snake oil”.

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San Diego Coffee Party Hosts Film on How One Community Dealt With Racial Profiling

May 10, 2010 by Source

There’s a community in Virginia that was torn apart by the issues of immigration and racial profiling. It’s far from the border, but this small city in northeast Virginia became a battleground for issues that are dividing Americans all across the country.

Some documentary makers went there and filmed how the city dealt with the racial schisms. They have just completed the film, called “9500 Liberty” and have allowed local Coffee Party activists to show it at a small venue in North Park.

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“No more cuts!” to Education Rally – Photo Gallery

May 10, 2010 by Frank and Patty

Hundreds of San Diegans yelled “No more cuts!” repeatedly. It was Saturday, May 8th, and it was the Educate for the Future rally in Balboa Park, at Sixth and Laurel, a traditional protest site. Teachers spoke, children sang and spoke, principals spoke, Congressman Bob Filner spoke, School Board President Richard Barrera spoke.

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San Diego Fire Rings Saved … for now

May 10, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

In front of a fire pit near the waters of Mission Bay, Mayor Jerry Sanders announced at a press conference today (5/10/10) that the City’s 185 beach fire rings have been saved … at least for now. Due to a hefty donation of $90,000 from the San Diego Foundation, and smaller amounts from other sources, the fire rings’ are safe from removal until June 2011.

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Movie Review: “Exit Through the Gift Shop” is deceptively delicious

May 10, 2010 by Dixon Guizot

Documentary? Comedy? Satire? Hoax?

It’s tough to pigeonhole Exit Through The Gift Shop, currently playing at Landmark Theaters in Hillcrest. The film is directed by UK street art superstar Bansky and tells the story of his rise to fame — though it does so indirectly.

Exit’s purported focus is amateur filmmaker Thierry Guetta, an absent-minded Frenchman and associate of Banksy’s who speaks in comically accented English and decides to become a superstar street artist himself.

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No More Cuts! Make Your Voice Heard – Rally for Education, Saturday, May 8th

May 7, 2010 by Doug Porter

Thousands of parents, teachers and students will be gathering in Balboa Park near 6th & Laurel on Saturday, May 8th at 10 am to raise their voices in support of public education.

Over the last two years education funding has taken the brunt of budget cuts. Politicians in Sacramento have cut billions of dollars from education and it would seem that there is no end in sight for this downward spiral. Schools throughout the region are dealing with larger class sizes, teachers laid off by the thousands, fewer nurses and counselors, cutbacks in science, music, arts and sports. This week San Diego Unified announced yet another round of pink-slips, with the school board voting 4-1 to send teachers packing.

This rally has been called to say ‘Enough is enough!’ California politicians will stop cutting education only when enough people stand up and make their voices heard: ‘No more cuts.’

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Police No Longer Monitoring Surveillance Cameras in Mission Beach But Homeland Security Wants to Install More

May 6, 2010 by Source

by Michael Chen/ Channel 10 News

The five cameras were installed in response to a street robbery and vicious sexual assault case in 2006 that left city and community leaders outraged. It cost $100,000 to install the cameras, which are put up at Belmont Park and South Mission Beach.

But after several years of watching, police have stopped monitoring those cameras.

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Strong Mayor = Insider Deals

May 6, 2010 by Source

by Pat Flannery

I went to a strong-mayor forum (Prop D) last night at the San Diego County Health Complex sponsored by Common Cause and Empower San Diego, with guest speakers Donna Frye and Carl DeMaio. It was well attended, informal, with lots of great comments and questions. Carl and Donna are a great double act and the crowd loved it.

For me, what emerged was a pointed reminder of the continuous struggle between a secretive privileged elite and the rest of us. Carl DeMaio, who by temperament should identify with the forgotten masses, seems to yearn for acceptance by San Diego’s ruling elite. It will never happen. Those of us who have lived here long enough know that San Diego is an elitist closed shop.

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OBcean in Bangkok

May 6, 2010 by Mary E. Mann

Editor: Our OB Rag blogger, Mary Mann, took off for Bangkok, Thailand a few weeks ago, in the midst of turmoil roiling that country. Here is her first post from that beautiful but troubled land.

“Are you ok? We heard about the explosions in Bangkok. I’m worried about you.”

Thus read a portion of an email from my mom, which I read in an internet cafe off of Koh San Road on my first day in this sweltering, smiling country.

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I think I won’t buy ARCO gas for awhile …

May 5, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

As I drove down Newport Avenue with a nearly empty gas tank, I considered my options. I usually buy my gas from the station at the corner of Newport and Sunset Cliffs, as ARCO is usually the cheapest big name brand around. I held my breath – what should I do? ARCO is owned by British Petroleum (BP). BP is responsible for this huge oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico – “the volcano of oil” spewing forth possibly as much as 200,000 gallons of crude every day.

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Watch Channel 10 News Tonight About Surveillance Cameras

May 5, 2010 by Staff

Michael Chen, a Channel 10 News reporter, has a brand, new piece that he is broadcasting tonight about the surveillance cameras in and around the beach. His report has a new slant on the fact that the City of San Diego plans to install up to 16 cameras around Mission Bay and including one on the OB Pier.

Chen came out to OB today (5/5/10) and interviewed Frank Gormlie about the cameras. Gormlie has written about the “creep of Big Brother” and has taken a strong stance against the cameras.

But we cannot divulge the content of Chen’s report until after tonight. His report should be either at 6pm or 7pm this evening on Channel 10.

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OB Riddle: Why did the baby sea lion cross the road?

May 5, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

What’s the answer? SeaWorld may know.

A SeaWorld rescue squad was called out to OB this morning (May 5) to capture a baby sea lion that had wandered onto Abbott Street during the early hours of the morning.

As a police officer tried to steer it back towards the ocean, it crawled underneath his car. A SeaWorld net captured the pup.

Locals cheered. Local media was all over the story. It was the big tip of the day.

As always, local photographer Jim Grant was also all over it. These are his pics.

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OB FLASHES – News, Calendar, Whatever – May 4

May 4, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

ALL LINKS INSIDE

* “Terriers” Filming at Hodad’s All Day Tuesday May 4th
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* Rally for “No More Cuts In Education” on Saturday, May 8th
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* Heathens’ Fundraiser Set for May 15th
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* Don Truesdail CD-Release Party a Success
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* Olive Tree Market Opens Beer and Wine Tasting Room
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* Voice of San Diego Holding School Board Candidate Forum – May 20th
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Obama’s Ocean of Trouble

May 4, 2010 by Source

by David Helvarg

Less than six months ago environmentalists were celebrating President Obama’s commitment to our public seas as they went to work in support of his proposed National Ocean Policy.

Of course that was before the president endorsed offshore-oil drilling.

His call for expanded fossil-fuel development on the Outer Continental Shelf at the end of March came less than a month before the catastrophic explosion of a deepwater oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico leased to BP. That April 20 Deepwater Horizon disaster left 11 oil workers missing and presumed dead and 17 injured, then burned for two days before sinking in almost mile-deep water, setting off what turns out to be something like a 200,000-gallon-a-day oil leak that’s quickly covered a large part of the gulf and is affecting the Louisiana coastline.

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Beach marchers call for marijuana legalization

May 3, 2010 by Dixon Guizot

by Shane Finneran / Exclusive to OB Rag /

About 75 demonstrators calling for the legalization of marijuana marched on the Pacific Beach boardwalk between Crystal Pier and Belmont Park on May 1. Participants spoke on a megaphone and carried signs with messages such as “Respect State Law,” “Prohibition Empowers Drug Lords,” and “Marijuana Is Better Than Alcohol.”

The two-hour march, which began at 11am, was organized by the Southern California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and a San Diego marijuana dispensary. SoCal NORML director Craig Beresh led the group in chants encouraging the legalization and taxation of marijuana.

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“Phish 3D”: Better Bring Your Dancin’ Shoes

May 3, 2010 by Lane Tobias

I have technically been a Phish fan since my early teens, when a dreadlocked summer camp counselor played the song “Fee” each morning to rouse a cadre of young adolescents from their slumber and get them ready for the day.

My devotion grew over the years, and by now I consider myself a Phish “head”. At this stage in my fan arc, I wholeheartedly believe that what keeps me coming back for more is the community built between the band and it’s fans.

On Friday night (April 30th) at the Hazard Center Ultrastar Theatre, there was a love fest going …

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May Day San Diego 2010 – Photo Gallery

May 1, 2010 by Staff

Three thousand marchers descended on the Federal Building in downtown San Diego, today, May 1st, in protest of the new immigration law passed by the State of Arizona. They had at first rallied in Chicano Park, and then paraded over to the other side of downtown.

Already in front of the Federal Building was an estimated 150 counter-demonstrators, waving anti-immigrant signs,and making noise. About another hundred folks, supportive of the marchers, were on the opposite side of the street.

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OB and San Diego Fire Pits on KOGO Radio Saturday May 1

May 1, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

At 12:30pm today, Saturday, May 1, there will be a half hour discussion of OB’s and San Diego’s fire rings and pits. Go to AM 600 to listen.

It is a discussion between Frank Gormlie of the “Adopt-a-Fire-Pit” Project, Hans Baumgartner of Save San Diego Fire Pits, and Phyllis Pfieffer of the La Jolla Light.

If you missed it at 12:30 or wish to listen to it early …. (LINKS INSIDE)

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Global Marijuana March – San Diego – May 1

May 1, 2010 by Source

Global Marijuana March-San Diego
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Time:
11:00am – 2:00pm
Location:
Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach
Description
We will meet at the Crystal Pier at 11AM on 5-1-10

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