OB Rag

NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD) students developed proposals outlining how Low Impact Development (LID) practices can reduce polluted storm water runoff within San Diego’s Ocean Beach community. The proposals were developed in NSAD’s Design Clinic, an elective course that allows students to undertake community challenges, and formally presented during a public forum in December.

Saving Ethnic Studies is my latest enterprise because my home state, Arizona, just can’t shed itself of Jim Crow kind of thinking, going back to long before I was born and all through my growing up in Tucson in the 40’s and 50’s. Then the 60’s came along and the state had to sing a different song. But Jim Crowness doesn’t go away easily.

Someone came up with the idea of honoring Martin Luther King and His Dream with a holiday and Arizonans screamed “No way!” Yet it happened and I thought that signaled that my beloved state had begun to see the way.

But along came SB1070, a law that basically gives cops of every stripe and kind the authority to profile Latinos. And before I could go “What?” Ethnic Studies, via HB2281, were banned in the Grand Canyon State.

After over a decade of the so-called “War on Terror,” President Barack Obama is about to sign the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law. The NDAA permits the indefinite detention of anyone, including citizens of the United States, who “was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces, under the law of war until the end of hostilities” – an extremely problematic and vague definition. In addition, it permits the transfer of any detained individuals to any foreign country and trial of such persons before a military tribunal.

By Miriam Raftery / East County Magazine / December 27, 2011

Starting January 1, new California laws take effect. Some give new protections to the public. Buying a used car? You now have a right to know its history. The government can’t snoop into your online reading habits. Your employer can’t peek at your credit report, in most cases. New laws also benefit pregnant employees, organ donors, renters, domestic partners, and bullied gay students.

Other laws impose restrictions. Want to buy popular cough syrups? You’ll need a prescription. If you order items online, you’ll be charged state sales tax. Shark fin soup and beer spiked with caffeine are banned. Employers have new requirements for notifying employees about pay and more. Kids must ride in a booster seat until age 8. Openly carrying a handgun is illegal, even if it isn’t loaded.

JANUARY: The repair work on Sunset Cliffs will finally be finished. The only problem was that during the installation of the new pipes, the cliffs eroded so much that there can no longer be any auto or pedestrian traffic on the street.

FEBRUARY: The post office, in their infinite wisdom has closed the processing center on Midway drive, thus opening the way for Lindbergh Field to take it over for the new runway.

by Medea Benjamin / Common Dreams / December 27, 2011

I had the privilege of starting out the year witnessing, firsthand, the unfolding of the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square. I saw people who had been muzzled their entire lives, especially women, suddenly discovering their collective voice. Singing, chanting, demanding, creating. And that became the hallmark of the entire year–people the world over becoming empowered and emboldened simply by watching each other. Courage, we learned in 2011, is contagious!

1. The Arab Spring protests were so astounding that even Time magazine recognized “The Protester” as Person of the Year. Sparked by Tunisian vendor Mohamed Bouazizi’sself-immolation to cry out against police corruption in December 2010, the protests swept across the Middle East and North Africa—including Egypt,Libya, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, and Jordan.

Billions in post-9/11 taxpayer dollars have paid for combat-style gear on display in the Occupy crackdowns.

By Justin Elliott / Salon / December 26, 2011

The militarization of America’s metropolitan police forces was on full display in recent months as police from Los Angeles to New York cracked down on Occupy protests, decked out in full SWAT gear and occasionally using strange pieces of military hardware.

San Diego “Portland Loo” Project to be Delayed Longer than Expected -project suggested to City Council by Girls Think Tank over a year ago still has not seen the light of day

by Lara McCaffrey / Empower San Diego / Originally posted Dec 21, 2011

San Diego, CA. With the end of the fiscal year approaching fast in June, there is only so much time to change the budget conversation in San Diego. Like Empower San Diego, fellow non-profit Girls Think Tank (GTT) has taken steps to convince the City Council to use valuable tax-payer funds for projects that benefit the less fortunate. GTT has been working for nearly 2 years to get the City to install 24 hour access public restrooms as a part of their Basic Dignity Campaign for San Diego’s homeless.

WHAT: San Diego ASA Medical Cannabis Educational Rally and March

WHEN: 12/26/2011 – 2pm-5:30pm

WHERE: Corner of Newport Ave and Abbot Street in Ocean Beach, CA

The federal government has begun a crackdown on legitimate medical marijuana patients, caregivers, and providers. In San Diego alone as a result of Federal threats, hundreds of safe access locations have been shut down causing legitimate patients to go without their doctor recommended medicine as well as helping crime rise in our City.

The San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access strongly opposes the Federal commandeering and intervention into state law and is organizing a medical cannabis educational rally!

By Nadin Abbott / December 23, 2011

During the early morning hours of December 23rd the Occupy San Diego encampment was raided by San Diego Police, and three people were arrested, at least two of them seemingly without cause.

Later that day, the American flag that’s been guarded by Occupiers at Civic Center Plaza (dubbed “Freedom Plaza” by occupiers) was confiscated from a Marine Corp veteran of the Gulf War, John Canter. Carter stated “I was guarding the flag during the raid. They took anything not held.”

msnbc / Dec. 23, 2011

SEATTLE — Across the country, the long-awaited release of Nike retro Air Jordan basketball shoes on Friday resulted in fights, arrests, and the use pepper spray as police tried to calm frenzied shoppers, many of whom had waited outside stores overnight.

In Richmond, Calif., a man was arrested after he fired a gun while waiting in line, KTVU TV reported.

In Seattle, Tukwila police officer Mike Murphy said more than 1,000 people lined up to buy shoes at 4 a.m. at four stores in the Westfield Southcenter mall. He said police used pepper spray on about 20 people who were fighting, while one man was arrested for assault after police say he pushed an officer.

The bogus arrests of Occupy San Diego activists continue. Within the last 24 to 36 hours, a man was arrested for burning sage in the Plaza, a man videotaping another’s arrest was grabbed by the neck, choked, and brought down by three officers, a veteran carrying an American flag had the flag taken from him, two others awake in sleeping bags were roughly arrested.

Freedom Plaza has now been “cleared” of those demonstrators. And we have Police Chief William Lansdowne to thank – as well as his boss, Mayor Jerry Sanders. Sanders is a lame duck and a burnt out politician.

Lansdowne takes his orders from Sanders, but Lansdown could object to the ridiculous and unconstitutional manner his troops are ordered to harass and arrest peaceful demonstrators trying to exercise their First Amendment rights.