Author: Source

By Mat Wahlstrom

The past few years have seen long overdue attention drawn to issues of systemic discrimination. From the #MeToo movement to #BlackLivesMatter to even concern for personal pronouns, we as a society are facing up to the ways in which we fall short of our egalitarian ideals to provide equality of opportunity.

But in what appears to also be a recent development, we’re seeing the exact opposite happening with regard to age. Usually only referenced in connection with employment law, age discrimination as a social phenomenon is being treated as innocuous, with replies of ‘OK, Boomer’ not only allowed to go unchallenged but treated as acceptable.

From LA Times:

Sustainable builder Steve Pallrand, founder and principal designer of the L.A. firm Carbon Shack Design, designed and built an 888-square-foot zero energy accessory dwelling unit, or ADU.

To make sure the systems he puts into place tread lightly on the planet, Pallrand added many eco-friendly solutions: Wood from the dilapidated barn was saved to frame the interior non-structural walls of the ADU. The barn’s redwood siding was reused on half of the house and new redwood siding was added to finish the rest of the exterior. Old roof sheeting was reused as flooring. Board-and-batten barn siding was used to make the cabinets and millwork. The concrete slab was broken up and used as pathways, and when the city forced them to remove a cedar tree for fire access, they used it to create live edge countertops and furnishings in the kitchen.

Pallrand details his strategies for creating environmentally friendly housing that will help fight climate change:

By Edwin Decker / Exclusive to the OB Rag

Hi Ed, I have a condition commonly known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The symptoms of my particular brand of ADHD are . . . excessive fidgeting, impulsiveness, disruptive arguing, interrupting others and inappropriate speech among other things. I get how this can be frustrating for my loved ones, but many of them think that it’s, “All in my head” and that with a little effort I can “get over it.” Any advice?

Sincerely,
ADHD chick

Dear Chick, I must say, in the 21st century, it’s hard to believe everyone isn’t hip to the very real symptoms of ADHD. That’s why I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t a fake question. Apologies if you’re the real deal. The last thing I want is to dismiss you in the manner which your friends and family have. Therefore, I will afford the benefit of the doubt and respond in kind.

By Thomas Ultican / Tultican

Vanderbilt Professor Joanne Golann recently published Scripting the Moves. It is a book which expands on her research into no-excuses charter schools. Beginning in March of 2012, Golann spent 18-months doing an ethnographic study of a representative school employing the no-excuses approach. She discovered many unintended consequences.

In 2019, the leader of the Ascend Charters, Steven Wilson, wrote,

“And even when No Excuses was best realized at Ascend, its ceaseless structure was doing little to prepare our students to function autonomously in college and beyond.”

Thurs. Sept. 16- The Lost and Found Balboa Park Gardens of Kate Sessions

By David Helvarg / The Hill / September 14, 2021

As a journalist covering wars, disasters and the environment, I’ve come to realize the existential threats we now face are not just bad people and governments committing mass murder; it is the ongoing elimination of the natural systems that sustain life on earth. The UN defines genocide as actions intended, “to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”

But what if your actions are intended only to maintain the profitability of what until recently, was the largest industrial combine in human history?

The local group, Neighbors for a Better San Diego, are calling for an immediate one-year moratorium on zoning changes in “transit priority areas.” And they’ve started a Petition towards that goal.

Here is their statement:

Moratorium on San Diego Zoning Changes in Transit Priority Areas

By Colleen O’Connor

What a night. The results were in, way faster and better than Democrats could have imagined, while the somewhat stunned newscasters stumbled to keep up the non-existent suspense.

It was all over except the shouting and cheering and booing and lying, in less than an hour.

True, mail-in ballots were counted first; same day and late arrivals are still to come, but nothing will overtake the huge win for Democrats and the “fire bell” in the night for Republicans.

It was all caps at The San Diego U-T:

NEWSOM SURVIVES RECALL ATTEMPT

The lede at the Los Angeles Times:

NEWSOM PREVAILS – Californians overwhelmingly reject Republican-led recall effort

The California Coastal Commission has just given the San Diego International Airport the go-ahead to begin construction of the $3 billion “expansion” plan for Terminal 1. The expanded terminal will replace the current Terminal 1, built in 1967.

The tentatively-approved plan calls for the demolition of the existing 336,000-square-foot, 19-gate Terminal 1 building, and replacing it with a structure three times its size and designed to serve 40 million passengers by 2040. The new building will be 1.2 million-square-feet housing 30 gates. The airport’s record level of 25 million passengers was just reached in 2019.

From OB Woman’s Club:

Garden-Themed “Bring a Friend” Monthly Meeting

This is an extra special meeting where we celebrate friendship by encouraging everyone to bring a friend (or more)! Adding to the occasion, this will be a garden-themed evening…we’ll meet in the garden in our favorite garden garb—extra big hats and floral attire welcomed! Can’t wait to see the creative outfits you and your friends come up with!

People Outside: Involved Not Terrified

By Colleen O’Connor

Ocean Beach defined itself vis-à-vis its geographical neighbor, Point Loma, with the slogan “O.B. Is Beside the Point.” Clever and apt in an attempt to codify the hyper-activist neighborhood defined more by the 60s than any other San Diego neighborhood.

Point Loma, more often recorded as the Navy’s backyard or the Portuguese fishing fleet, has sometimes been dismissed as staid. Remarkably, that “staid” label has stuck, but ignores the relevance of present-day Point Loma.

‘Clearly unconstitutional’: Merrick Garland reveals DOJ’s strategy to fight the Texas abortion law

By Alex Henderson / Alternet / September 9, 2021

On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas in response to its draconian new anti-abortion law, which went into effect on September 1.

The Texas law outlaws all abortion in Texas after about six weeks, even in cases of rape or incest.