OB Rag

By Colleen O’Connor

Last December, I wrote a column and predicted that neither Biden nor Trump would be the next President. Then it was an outlandish suggestion. Much less so now.
Why? Things are exponentially worse. Trust is lacking. Solutions non-existent.

Increased anger over gun violence, immigration surges, abortion restrictions, financial corruption, inflation, homelessness, war, a pandemic, climate change, the dark web, and global rise of dictatorships, etc., has unleashed a rare form of political and social near-insanity

Please join Ocean Beach Historical Society and Point Loma High Alumni Association, Thursday evening, May 18, at 7:00 pm, at Water’s Edge Faith Community, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., as we return to the Cradle of Bitchin with author A. Lee Brown and sculptor Richard Arnold.

By Danna Givot / May 11, 2023

I have not heard anyone say we have built too many homes in San Diego.  What I have heard people say is that what we have a shortage of AFFORDABLE HOUSING, not luxury housing.

I don’t hear many people disagree with this fact, which is supported by this study by the San Diego Housing Commission. When you compare the number of units available by income level to the actual number of households in each income level, you can see exactly where the housing shortage is in San Diego.

by Ernie McCray

Had a nice weekend at the
“The 2023 Annual Conference of
California Community College
Trustees”
at the
Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa
with mi querida
who is a trustee.

Your City At Work

By Geoff Page

Back in March in Ocean Beach, city crews removed the sand berms along the beach that they put up in October to protect areas landward from high winter surf and high tides.  During this removal work by the small Dog Beach jetty, a loader operator backed into a city pole and broke it just above the sand.

By Emma Peters / LomaBeat.com / End of April 2023

“Sad girl starter pack”
“My life is a movie”
“Chill vibes”

No, these are not phrases spouted out by a ChatGPT- bot attempting to come up with vague internet-esque phrases to assimilate with the youth, but they may as well be. These expressions, which essentially mean nothing without the context of social media, have now permeated the popular streaming service Spotify. It’s a genius marketing scheme—and it’s ruining the way that we listen to music.

By Barry Hager – Mission Hills Heritage/ SOHO May-June 2023

For the last 110 years, the Craftsman bungalow now affectionately known as the “Red Bungalow” or the “Red House,” has graced the northeast corner of Fort Stockton Drive and Goldfinch Street near the eastern entrance to the Mission Hills neighborhood.

The bungalow at 850 Fort Stockton Drive was built in 1912 for Perry and Olive Griswold, whose family lived there for more than 20 years. The Red Bungalow is unusual in that it was originally built as a duplex with two full-size porches, one facing Fort Stockton and the other facing Goldfinch.

By Jeff McDonald / San Diego Union-Tribune / May 7, 2023

Last month, La Mesa Vice Mayor Colin Parent signed a public disclosure acknowledging he solicited a $5,500 donation from a major developer to Circulate San Diego, the charity for which he serves as chief executive officer.

It was the 68th time in the last five years that Parent reported seeking cash contributions to his employer …. Since April 2018, the La Mesa Democrat has disclosed almost $700,000 in what are called behested payments —

Local San Diego TV media politics might soften up a bit.

The most right-wing news station in San Diego, KUSI, will be bought by media conglomerate Nexstar Media Group, the owner of “The CW.” And KUSI may turn into the CW channel for the area. Or may be merged with Fox5, another TV station here owned by Nexstar. Or maybe both. The purchase of KUSI was for $35 million.

Barry Bahrami, the man whose livestream caught two Navy ships nearly colliding in the San Diego Bay has been ordered to take the cameras down.

It was Bahrami’s video that showed the near collision of two Navy ships at the San Diego Bay back in November 2022, an incident commonly referred to as “Warship Chicken” which now stands at the center of a new controversy. The Navy Criminal Investigative Service says the camera’s livestream shows military activity in the area, but Bahrami calls, “bologna,” and that he has the right to film.