OB Rag

. . . and conservative journalism isn’t news journalism

By Bill Adams / San Diego Free Press

Mainstream news media has long been accused of having a “liberal bias.” Some studies have supported this belief. “Liberal bias” may be inherent in news journalism for reasons that aren’t flattering to conservatives.

Defining Liberal and Conservative. While political views are neither immutable nor binary, certain characteristics have remained relatively consistent. Broadly speaking, liberal policies support labor, equality and a strong social safety net, strong public institutions, progressive taxation, diplomacy and the avoidance of military conflict, and protection of the environment.

By Jim Miller

A couple of weeks ago I saw Dead and Company open their tour in Las Vegas. The trip was filled with a bit of personal nostalgia for the many other times I came see the Grateful Dead play two or three show runs there before Jerry Garcia died.

Of course, all of those trips, taken with friends steeped in the larger history of the band, were full of easy, ironic references to Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas where he tells the tale of his own savage journey into the Heart of the American Dream.

Thanks for your patience, everybody!

We didn’t post Monday or Tuesday as we were on a much-needed vacation in the local mountains, and had a cabin up at Mt. Laguna.

But now we’re baaack. Refreshed with new energy but bummed that the news continues to be bad.

At the Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting held Wednesday night, June 7th, the Board quickly approved the only project before it, held a discussion about Bacon Street being turned into a bicycle boulevard, prioritized a list of capital improvements for Ocean Beach, and engaged in a preliminary discussion to formulate input to the city about the new OB lifeguard station.

4628 – 4630 Point Loma Ave

The project up for review at 4628-30 Point Loma Avenue was a condo-conversion of two existing residences. Ryan, representing the owners, said his clients have owned the property since 1979. Because the back house was remodeled in 79 and the front in 2013, there was no actual construction planned, just the conversion of the two into condos. The owners plan to live in one and sell the other.

Thanks to Mercy Baron we have discovered that the old Strand Theater building is NOT for sale.

The “For Sale” sign was placed on the wrong building.

Chili Cook-Off Information and Application

It’s getting really close – the 38th Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival on Saturday, June 24th.

From OB Mainstreet Association

Chili Cook-Off Information and Application

Editors’ Note: The staff of the OB Rag launched the online San Diego Free Press five years old this week. This is one in a series of posts reflecting on the paths we’ve traveled.

By Ernie McCray

My journey in life has been down many a highway, leading me this way and that way. Mostly wonderful, though, I must say.

I could go on and on for days about the stops I’ve made in this voyage, about the human connections that have sat well in my soul: like my relationship with the San Diego Free Press, SDFP, which, by the way, is celebrating it’s fifth year of treating us San Diegans to an array of progressive news and views.

Propositions we can use.

I remember how the San Diego Free Press came to be, how we, at meetings of the OB Rag, with its major focus on Ocean Beach, thought about reaching out to all of San Diego.

By Lori Saldaña

I’ve been reviewing various reports about the proposed ballot measure and special election that seeks to increase the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). Proponents tell us this is needed to fund a Convention Center expansion, pave our streets, and provide shelter for homeless people — wow!

Impressive — if true.

I’ve shared these thoughts and research points with others, including a member of the Convention Center board, and wanted to include others in the conversation.

First: for 20+ years I’ve taught Business IT skills as part of the Community College’s Workforce Development program. Throughout that time I’ve been looking at what actual jobs result from different types of taxpayer “investment” and what that means for my students.

By Anne Haule / San Diego Free Press

I’d like to go on a bit of a rant about how naïve I have been for so long and even though I am an educated person, my education was more akin to indoctrination. Now that I am finally waking up, I wish to share a few examples of what I was taught and what I now believe.

Christopher Columbus

I was taught he was a hero for proving the world was not flat and discovering and bringing Christianity to the new world. In fact, he was a really a “bad hombre” and he was not the first explorer to reach the Americas; he was preceded by its indigenous people who came from Asia and later, the Vikings.

By Murtaza Baxamusa / San Diego UrbDeZine / June 5, 2017

These are interesting times in the housing world. The unprecedented housing crisis statewide in California, and locally in San Diego, is forging unprecedented coalitions among affordable housing advocates, community-based organizations, labor unions and environmentalists.

These coalitions are galvanizing in response to the demand from their members to put all options on the table to tackle this crisis that is taking a significant toll on all of us.

UPDATE: “For Sale” sign was placed on the wrong building.

We noticed that there’s a For Sale sign on the former Strand Theater building – where Wings presently sits.