OB Rag

by John Falchi
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I’m a long-time resident of OB, and I have been covering the increased amount of hate crime and hate speech in San Diego County in recent years. In that connection I wanted to present some highlights of the recent Hate Crimes Summit sponsored by United for a Hate Free San Diego at El Cajon’s Ronald Reagen Community Center on Thursday, October 1, 2009.

Hate crimes, hate groups and hate behavior are proliferating across the U.S. according to James McElroy, CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center(SPLC). He delivered the keynote address to an overflow crowd at the Summit, recently.

by Karma Patrol
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We had our first experience of what I would like to call, “Dog Rage” this weekend.

I have seen “Dog Rage” at Balboa Dog Park, but this was my first time experiencing it firsthand.

On a past weekend we were out enjoying the late afternoon sun with the dogs at Dog Beach. An unneutered male dog approached our blanket and attempted to mount my spayed female dog.

My boyfriend “shoo’d” the dog away from the blanket. At no time did either of us touch the dog.

The owner approached my boyfriend verbally threatening violence…..

by Arthur Salm / San Diego News Network / October 5, 2009
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Somewhere, a dog has bitten a man. And from the desk where I write, I can — by leaning back a little and looking around the orange tree – report that the sun has risen in the east.

Not only that:

Some of the local establishments that have been authorized to dispense marijuana for medical reasons may have been dispensing marijuana to individuals who may have partaken of the substance for non-medical reasons. Worse, the establishments may have dispensed the aforementioned substance with full knowledge, or at least, a pretty damn good idea that their customers intended to go straight home and crank up “Dark Side of the Moon,” and don’t even pretend that you don’t know what I mean.

It’s hard to escape the image of Americans as slothful and overweight. But what if being fat weren’t totally our fault?

The narrative we pound into our heads everyday is that we live in a country where fast food rules, where morning coffee drinks can provide nearly one-quarter of your daily calories before you even get to breakfast, and where you can have pizza topped with Oreos.

And there’s the issue that less than a quarter of us exercise regularly, and on average we spend 142 hours a month lounging on our couches, our eyes glued to a TV.

So it’s no wonder that the Centers for Disease Control report that more than a staggering 60 percent of adults and 16 percent of children are obese.

Even before Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, the internet was seething with lurid conspiracy theories exposing his alleged subversion and treachery.

Among the many false claims: Obama was a secret Muslim; he was not a native U.S. citizen and his election as president should be overturned; he was a tool of the New World Order in a plot to merge the government of the United States into a North American union with Mexico and Canada.

Within hours of Obama’s inauguration, claims circulated that Obama was not really president because Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts scrambled the words as he administered the oath of office. A few days after the inauguration came a warning that Obama planned to impose martial law and collect all guns.

OCEAN BEACH, CA. Every now and then, an Ocean Beach organization takes one of the community’s problems head-on. This is happening with the old OB lifeguard station and its public restroom facilities. Recently, the OB Rag complained about the state of the restrooms.

Stepping up to the problems, the OB Town Council has “adopted” the public building – built sometime in the late Sixties – and plans to shepherd through some improvements with the facility.

by Ernie McCray
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Trying to proceed with life after losing my Nancy has been like climbing out of a steep wet muddy hole wearing slippery shoes. What did I ever do to the universe to have to sing these blues?

But, as I’ve always done to keep from going insane, I’ve been writing to ease my pain. Not long ago I took part in an exercise at a writers workshop wherein we put down our thoughts about: “Things That Make Life Worth Living.”

I know that I am not the only one who is at odds with family over political issues. My latest family feud began innocently enough—a phone call yesterday with my beloved big brother, and only remaining immediate family member, in Western Pennsylvania.

When Jack told me that the prescription drug he takes for recurrent heartburn falls into the Medicare donut hole, and that he is going without it until the next cycle of coverage begins, I told him that his little sister is supporting health care reform to close that very donut hole.

His response- “I DON’T WANT ANYONE CRAMMING SOMETHING I DON’T WANT DOWN MY THROAT.” Yes, his response was in caps. Ouch.

OB’s Oktoberfest Is on October 10th at the OB Pier
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Anti-Hate Crimes Conference October 1st
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Peaceniks Leaflet Point Loma High School
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North OB Restrooms to have Temporary and Mobile Replacements
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Bongo drum attacker arrested on Voltaire Street
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Diver who died off Sunset Cliffs identified
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Banned Book Week Looks at Censorship
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OB Town Council and Dog Beach Dog Wash Annual Clean-up on Halloween
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………. ALL DETAILS INSIDE ……

New Census data show 850,000 county residents living in economic hardship
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Poverty in San Diego County shot up in 2008, rising at a much faster pace than in California or the nation. This plunge in quality of life for many San Diegans is documented in U.S. Census data released today.

The data show that 850,000 county residents — 29% of the population — were living in economic hardship in 2008, according to analysis by the Center on Policy Initiatives. That measure, using a threshold double the federal poverty level, is a more realistic gauge in cities like San Diego where living costs are higher than the national average.

On the first day of August, a mob of 200 right-wing Texans stormed the parking lot of a Randalls grocery store in southwest Austin. They were united in a single goal: Disrupt the “office hours” that Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the district’s congressman, had scheduled for his constituents. The protesters targeted Doggett for his role in crafting the House’s bill to reform health care, brandishing signs that read “No Government Health Care” and “No Government Counselor in My Home!!!” But their anger seemed to encompass a universe of conservative fears: higher taxes, illegal immigration, socialism.

Editor: We have heard that students at UC Santa Cruz have taken over a campus building in protest of the cuts proposed for the UC system. On September 24th, students at UC Santa Cruz began the occupation of the Graduate Student Commons as part of a day of action at all UCs across the state. The occupation continues. They have set up a website here. The students have issued the following statement:
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We are occupying this building at the University of California, Santa Cruz, because the current situation has become untenable. Across the state, people are losing their jobs …