OB Rag

It’s been a week now since San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne went before the TV cameras and other reporters last Wednesday, May 9th, and stated:

“I want to personally apologize to every citizen of the city of San Diego, as this behavior is not expected, nor condoned, by me or anyone in the San Diego Police Department.”

He was referring, of course, to the recent spate of allegations – he called it a “unprecedented spike” – of officer misconduct involving nine individuals from his police force, just within the last several months. Eye brows were raising all over town each time the media reported another cop arrested. There had been arrests for DUI, domestic violence, rape, excessive force, ….

By Kathleen Blavatt/Ocean Beach Historical Society Creative Director.

The 2011, 17th Annual OB Exposed! Was one of the best we’ve had with over 250 attendees.

Pat James opened with the comment, “Welcome to OB Exposed! Buffet”. This was due to the yummy and wonderful spread local restaurants and bakeries donated.

I’m not sure how the The OB Rag ended up on the invite list for the F-35 Cockpit Demonstrator event hosted by Lockheed Martin on May 17. But I had that morning free — and as Kurt Vonnegut wrote, “peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God” — so I volunteered to check it out.

The event was held at a Kearny Mesa office of Cobham Sensor Systems, a defense contractor with about 1,000 employees in San Diego. The goal was “to celebrate the past success and the strong future of the F-35 aircraft” with community leaders and media, said Eric Forstner, vice president of sales and marketing for Cobham.

Dear gang.  All morning we’ve had problems with our server. Otherwise this great post I’ve been writing would be up…

Editor: The following account was sent to our letters section.

By Devon/May 17 2011

How much tax money does it take to get a man silently resting on a bench in front of the shell station to move? I don’t know that answer, nor do I know if tax money goes towards hollow hand shaped blue latex. What I know is what I saw.

Editor: Last year, at the premier showing of the first episode of “Terriers” at a local pub organized by OB restauranteur Ted Caplaneris and his spouse Kathy, the FX television show was preceded by a short film noir entitled “The Fatal Heir”. The short was filmed in part at Ted’s restaurant, the Old Townhouse Restaurant – as were scenes, of course, of “Terriers”. Now we learn via U-T columnist Diane Bell that the director of the film, Michael Brueggemeyer, is currently at the Cannes Film Festival searching for financial backing to make it a feature-length production.

By Pamela Jayne / NUG Magazine / May 17, 2011

Our monthly patient profile [at Nug Magazine]is usually dedicated to telling the story of an individual who benefits from the use of medical cannabis. Due to the recent decision by the San Diego City Council, we have chosen to use this edition to speak on behalf of all patients.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has today announced it’s intention to track the Rapture, as a curtain raiser to tracking the End of the World.

Commencing at 6pm on Saturday the 21st May, NORAD will use it’s highly acclaimed “SantaTracker” network of satellites and webcams to follow the Rapture from it’s beginning in Fiji and New Zealand and on, through the Far East, Asia, Europe and finally to the United States of America.

By Will Power / East County Magazine / May 16, 2011

Citing budget concerns , the State of California (and the U.S. federal government) are studying plans to turn over California’s most precious beaches, lakes, and forests to private entrepreneurs who will rent California’s own land back to its citizens for a profit.

Seventy California state parks are slated for permanent closure, including Palomar Mountain State Park and San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park in San Diego County.

by Lucas O’Connor / Two Cathedrals / May 16-17, 2011

The importance of preserving history is rooted in the conversations that we’re able to have as a result: who we are, where we came from, how it helps point us into the future. It’s an extremely difficult balance, and usually the forces of indifferent change-for-profit are much better equipped, leaving defenders of our shared history little choice but to throw themselves fully into every check in the process.

Carlos Santana was given the Beacon of Change award before the Atlanta Braves’ fifth annual Civil Rights Game on Sunday [May 15, 2011] against the Philadelphia Phillies and he used the opportunity to criticize Arizona and Georgia for their new immigration laws.

Saying he represented immigrants, the Grammy winner said at Turner field, “The people of Arizona, and the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Join progressives at Congresswoman Susan Davis’ Town Hall Meeting – this Wednesday, May 18th. It’s at the Normal Heights Community Center, located at 4649 Hawley Blvd. The Town Hall meet is from 5 to 7 pm.