OB Rag

Across the country, an unprecedented operation is developing at an accelerating clip, unseen and unknown by most Americans.

Until now, that is.

On Monday (7/19/10) The Washington Post launched “Top Secret America,” an ongoing report of the private intelligence operations—which the report calls “our 4th branch of government– that have surfaced in America since September 11, 2001. The project has been in the making for two years now.

“The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work,” reads the report’s introduction, spearheaded by long-time reporters Dana Priest and William M. Arkin.

The same guy who will be speaking about “education reform” at the next OB Town Council meeting on July 28th, spoke at a Tierrasanta community meeting Wednesday night (7/21/10). He wasn’t received all that well by local residents there.

Scott Himelstein, the leader of the newly named “San Diegans 4 Great Schools”, told the residents gathered at the Tierrasanta meeting that his group was disappointed with test scores in San Diego Unified schools and that “governance” was the problem. “Governance” is a cloaked term for “how the school board works”.

by Jim Bell

We humans are something special and rare.

In spite of there being an estimated 5 to 100 million species of life on our planet, our species is the only one sufficiently conscious to become conscious of existence and our place in it on all levels.

On the most foundational level, this means that if enough of us become conscious enough, soon enough, we will be able to pass the birthright of a peaceful and life-supporting world to our children and future generations.

ALL DETAILS AND LINKS INSIDE:

* Community Meeting on Recent Small Dog Deaths Tonight – July 22nd
* Heathen Party and Park-to-Beach Procession on Saturday July 24th
* OB Town Council guest speaker from controversial ‘San Diegans 4 Great Schools’ – July 28th
* Lifeguards and off-duty OB firefighter pull man from ocean off Sunset Cliffs
* Sunset Cliffs Benches: $3000 X 15 = $45,000 – YIKES!
* Flash from the past: trapped would-be burglar gives Gary Gilmore the business
* New homeless sticker is seeking a home

There has been troubles at OB’s dog parks recently – there have been maulings and deaths of small dogs at both Dusty Rhodes Dog Park and at Dog Beach. In response, a community meeting is being held tonight, July 22nd, at the OB Recreation Center at 5:30pm. The Rec Center is at the corner of Santa Monica and Ebers.

Legislation to extend unemployment benefits overcame a Republican filibuster in the Senate yesterday, putting more than 400,000 Californians a step closer to having their benefits checks reinstated.

But suspended checks are only part of the state’s unemployment woes: 34.5 percent of teen workers in the state were out of a job in June. That’s compared to 25.7 percent of teens nationwide and is nearly three times higher than the state’s overall unemployment rate.

Workers 16 to 19 years old face the highest rates of unemployment of any age group. Teen unemployment in California is more than double what it was in 2000, according to the state Employment Development Department.

For some time I’ve been wanting to say something about Betty Brown, an old friend who passed away a few weeks ago. It’s taken me a while because the pressing question for me has been how does one summarize such a noteworthy woman’s life accomplishments? Listing them would fill an extremely tall and wide notebook, not to mention exhaust the reader.

But I’ve decided to go with simplicity beginning with the reality that there are many advocates for children on the planet but not many of them, including myself, could keep up with Betty’s pace as a community activist without gasping for air.

Late Monday (July 19) afternoon housing activists took over the long vacant 43-unit Sierra Hotel in San Francisco’s Mission District. The hotel has been empty for years and is in a state of disrepair though structurally sound. The takeover is “a collective act of homefulness” to protest government cuts of social services that will result in more people being out on the streets.

OAKLAND, California — The city of Oakland, California on Tuesday legalized large-scale marijuana cultivation for medical use and will issue up to four permits for “industrial” cultivation starting next year.

The move by the San Francisco Bay Area city aims to bring medical marijuana cultivation into the open and allow the city to profit by taxing those who grow it.

The Project Review Committee of the OB Planning Board will be determining whether to authorize a request to remodel cottages on Niagara next to the OB Pier, on Wednesday, July 21.

The owner of the cottages – called the Colburn Residences and located at 5072 Niagara Avenue – wants to remodel an existing residence and add 288 square feet. The site is .23 of an acre and has an additional five residences.

“Terriers” is our new Twentieth Century TV series, which recently finished shooting its 12 episodes, including the pilot. The show is going to air in the fall line-up for the FX Channel. I wanted to provide some insight on what it takes to get a show like this to work in San Diego.

Rare Coastal Habitat In San Diego Needs Volunteers July 24th

By Ed Joyce / KPBS / July 19, 2010

San Diego is home to one of the few remaining coastal dune habitats in California.The area is also a key nesting area for an endangered bird. The rare jewel can be found in the midst of Ocean Beach.

Rob Hutsel is the executive director of the San Diego River Park Foundation, which is involved in helping to protect the coastal dune habitat in Ocean Beach.