OB Rag

By Colleen O’Connor

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominates the headlines; with good cause. Diplomacy is failing. Inflation is raging. Europe is reliving the nightmare possibilities of more Russian tanks, troops and trenches on its borders.

The current carefully scripted takeover of the two Ukrainian “state-lets” is a repeat of Putin’s takeover of the former Soviet state of Georgia, and more recently, the seizure of Crimea.

“August 7th, 2008, Russia launched a full-scale land, air and sea attack against its tiny neighbor, across an internationally recognized border.

The conflict pitted 70,000 Russian troops against Georgia’s army of about 10,000 soldiers and another 10,000 reservists. Needless to say, the “war” did not last long—it was over by August 12.”

That invasion lasted 5 days.

By Joni Halpern

Today there is a raging controversy, especially on the part of White Americans, about “critical race theory.” There seems to be a belief commonly held among White Americans that critical race theory is being taught in K-12 schools, or that teachers who might have learned about it in the course of their academic education are going to use it to make White children feel guilty about their race and culture.

People who believe this do not know what critical race theory is. They are wrapped in rage without understanding the theory. In the process, they are making school boards and teachers afraid to engage in any legitimate teaching about the racial history of this country. The unfortunate truth is, most people who oppose critical race theory don’t even know what it is or how it came about.

By Geoff Page

The regular monthly meeting of the Peninsula Community Planning Board, Thursday, February 17, was a basically routine affair. What was probably of most interest to Point Loma residents was a letter that contained traffic recommendations for the length of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. from Adair Street at the north end to Ladera Street at the southern end.

Sunset Cliffs parking regulations

Residents along this stretch of Sunset Cliffs have been complaining for at least two years or more about noise, trash, and basic lawlessness by visitors. The sunsets at the cliffs apparently made it to social media some time ago and crowds flock to the cliffs from outside the area. The traffic jams leaving after sunset are well known by everyone.

Brenna Olsen of Whomp Burger & Brew in Her Own Words

Table Talk by Sal Mineo (@snackdiego)

Welcome back to Table Talk,fellow OBceans – where we get friendly with those in our community keeping the peace by slaking our appetites. This is a hangry-free zone.

Cruising around on my bike a couple of weeks ago, I saw a neon banner hanging off of the old Sundara spot (R.I.P), that says “Whomp Burger & Brew” – I’m sure you must have seen it by now. I know, I know; some of you are thinking ‘another burger?’ and some of you are thinking ‘another burger!’ I say, the more the merrier and judging by the lines outside some of our existing establishments, there’s no shortage of burger enthusiasts in our little hamlet (see what I did there).

Let’s get into some table talk with Brenna Olsen of the soon-to-be-open-in-early-March Whomp Burger & Brew, who with her business partner Brian Freye hopes to bring us another joint to kick back at after the beach.

Are Cannabis Retailers Weaponizing Drug Prevention to Prevent Equity?

By Terrie Best – San Diego Chapter Americans for Safe Access

The San Diego chapter of Americans for Safe Access (SDASA), the nation’s largest cannabis patient advocacy group, has been working to advance access to medical cannabis since 2002. We are not surprised at the length drug and alcohol prevention contractors will go to keep medical cannabis over-regulated. One of their strategies is to push policy making it nearly impossible to enter the industry.

In San Diego County, preventionist contractors were instrumental in pushing onerous land use restrictions on commercial cannabis. This placed retailers in the far flung rural areas as if they were radioactive. Placing medicine out-of-reach created large cannabis access deserts and an undue burden on patients throughout the county.

But the coordination between cannabis retailers and the drug prevention community to keep it that way is new.

By Judi Curry

As another birthday year comes to an end, I look into the crystal ball and wonder what the next year will bring.

I don’t remember ever seeing the ball as dark as it is tonight – very few shining lights peek through the fog. Will we be at war in the next few weeks? Will the former President of the United States be held accountable for his actions – and his lack of actions?

Will he have to answer questions about his part of the January 6th resurrection? Will he have to answer why he took to Florida 15 boxes of classified information? Will he have to answer to the New York Attorney General his business dealings? Will he run for office again in 2024? And if he does will the American people reelect him?

What does the future hold for my children and grandchildren?

By Mat Wahlstrom/ Times of San Diego / Feb. 18, 2022

On Wednesday, Feb. 16, the City Council’s Rules Committee took up its final consideration of the changes to San Diego’s email record retention policy proposed by Mayor Todd Gloria and endorsed by City Attorney Mara Elliott, voting unanimously to move them to the full council as soon as possible to meet a Feb. 1, 2023, implementation date.

Foremost among these is the elimination of the current policy of forever retaining emails with one that mandates that most all city correspondence before Feb. 1, 2018, and going forward be permanently deleted five years to the day after being sent.

This is being praised as a win for transparency because these changes aren’t as bad as shorter alternatives.

Editordude: OB is lucky. Not only does the community have an historical society, but the president of that society is a good writer and a good writer of local history. The following by Eric Duvall, head of the OB Historical Society, is the most comprehensive historical account of “Duckville” written in modern times. What’s Duckville? Read on …

By Eric DuVall / Point Loma – OB Monthly / Feb. 16, 2022

We’d like to take you all out to Duckville this weekend. Be a hoot, wouldn’t it? Nice and quiet, catch some halibut maybe, tell some tall tales around the wood stove.

We’d like to, but no can do. Duckville isn’t there anymore. Where was Duckville? T

Here are some heart-warming charts from the San Diego County Department of Health and Human Services that clearly show falling numbers of COVID here.

By Edwin Decker

Dear SWAT, my wedding is coming up in a month and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The only problem is, I can’t stand the thought of my fiancé going to a strip club for his bachelor party.

I swear I’m not a prudish person but the idea of him staring at all these women, getting lap dances, throwing money at them to see their private parts up close etc., truly creeps me out. At the same time, I don’t want him to think I’m some sort of controlling prude. I’m really not prudish or controlling at all. There’s just something about this activity that grosses me out. What do you think? Should I ask him not to go or keep my mouth shut?

Sincerely,
Not-a-Prude
Mission Valley San Diego

Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play-ay-ay?

Just kidding! I don’t think you’re a prude. But even if you are, so what? You do you. It is your right, nay responsibility, to express your feelings to your mate

By Volodymyr Ishchenko / Al Jazeera / Feb. 16, 2022

The Ukrainian political leadership must not allow great powers to decide the country’s future.

In late January, as Western countries escalated their rhetoric about an “imminent invasion” by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy questioned this narrative at a press conference with foreign reporters. “I’m the president of Ukraine and I’m based here and I think I know the details better here,” he said following his phone call with US President Joe Biden.

I felt proud and I think many other Ukrainians did so, too. In the 2019 presidential elections, 73 percent of voters supported Zelenskyy, a comedian with no political experience, in an act of total rejection of the dinosaur of Ukrainian oligarchic politics, Petro Poroshenko, who ran on an aggressive nationalist platform.

By Judi Curry

HUGO’S IS NOT CLOSING! It is opening up under new management effective immediately. And the menu is basically the same – vegan, vegetarian and traditional Mexican food. There are Appetizers, Tortas,

Quesadillas, Enchiladas, Tacos, Tamales, Burritos, Special Combo Plates, Vegan Special Options, plus Sides and Extras, Breakfasts, Salads, Soups, and even a Kids Menu.

So who are the new owners? Two women whose history goes back to when the restaurant was Rancho’s. They are both single mothers; both love to cook; both love to meet new people, and both have a delightful sense of humor. Let me introduce you to Erika Leyva and Georgina Ballesteros.