OB Rag

Our local CBS station, Channel 8, just did a survey of neighborhoods of the County of San Diego with the highest overall crime numbers within the last six months. The news station did this by zip code.

We took their numbers, and after adjusting them to allow just City of San Diego neighborhoods, we found that the neighborhood of Ocean Beach – zip code 92107 – was the neighborhood with the 13th highest crime numbers. During the last 6 months, according to the survey, OB had 856 over-all.

But OB was bested by twelve other neighborhoods with higher numbers of crimes.

By Eric Nielsen / blogsandiego

The Convergence show at Cabrillo National Monument was a huge success. It was fabulously put on by Ship in the Woods. It was spiritual and mystical. It was full of great people and objects. It breathed with the ocean and the cliffs. It melted into the serene and transformative power of the location.

It was site specific art at its best and if you missed it, you missed the night of the year. I couldn’t even see all of it and I couldn’t stay for the music. I really wanted to see Perry Vazquez and Pall Jenkins play in front of glass walls that looked out onto the ocean, the bay, downtown and Tijuana. But, I didn’t even need to see all the art or hear all the music to feel the presence of the ocean, the stars and night time sky serving as the backdrop to the creationist visions of local artists.

By John Lawrence

In early October, torrential rain flooded almost the entire state of South Carolina. At least 17 people died. The cost of the flooding could top $1 billion, Senator Lindsey Graham said. Interstate 95 was closed for 70 miles. At least 11 dams failed. Another 35 dams were at risk.

The rain event set records all over the state, flooding entire towns. For some locations, this historic rainfall qualifies as a 1,000-year rain event, meaning in a given year there is a 1 in 1,000 chance of observing rainfall totals of this magnitude.

Join the OB Historical Society in a celebration of the “Centennial of Historic Sunset Cliffs” with presenter Ann Swanson, chair of the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park – all at St. Peter’s by the Sea at 1371 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., on Thursday, November 19th, at 7pm.

These cliffs have a lot of history – from the Kumeyaay who considered them sacred – to the Theosophists and Albert Spalding, who developed sections of the cliffs. COME INSIDE FOR MORE INFO …

UPDATE: Since this posting yesterday, Wed., we have received an additional $70 – which puts up close to $600!

The OB Rag wants to thank the many folks who donated to our cause to replace our server – as our funding goal of $400 has been surpassed.

In the 5 days since we started our fundraising on Friday the 13th, we have raised over $500 – and are calling it off. Many of the donations were via PayPal – and were from $10 to $50. And several old friends and supporters also stepped up.

New construction and remodeling are being proposed for a lot on the 4600 block of Del Mar Avenue in southern Ocean Beach.

According to the City’s Notice, the applicant, William Mack, has applied for a Coastal Development Permit at 4620 Del Mar, a lot that is .16 acre. Mack wants to construct the following to an existing dwelling unit:

• an addition
• interior remodel
• companion unit
• and encroachments
• that will total 5,703 square feet.

28 Two and Three-Story TownHouses Coming Will Add to Traffic Congestion

There’s been some changes to what’s called “upper Voltaire” – that stretch of Voltaire Street east of Ocean Beach, up on the hill and that flows down across Catalina Boulevard and onward across its bridge over Nimitz.

The old Dominos Pizza building (you may remember it as the surf shop) has been demolished and removed. There has been some general clearing of that lot.

And next door, the former coffee house cottage is also undergoing an interesting switcharoo. The former java joint is being turned into an off-site kitchen for the OB Noodle House. Wow – more expansion for one of OB’s most favorite restaurants.

But the main thing that is going on is that the one-acre triangular-shaped lot …

(Photo: txindoki/Flickr/cc)

By Ernie McCray

As we opened our hearts, this past Veteran’s Day, to our nation’s warriors with hearty “Thank you for your service” like cliches, alongside heaping praise on them for being strong heroic and brave – I kept thinking of two young men I met a little over a decade ago.

They were among the first to die in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I met them at career fairs at their schools, while I was sitting at a table letting kids know that they …

Patty tells me that the OB Rag has to make the server switch this week and no later than next weekend.

Our call for help has been fruitful – as we have raised $175 just since Friday.

We need another $225 and must ask our readers and supporters for additional help.

Editor: Senator Elizabeth Warren has started a petition to get Congress to pass a Cost of Living increase for Social Security recipients. As of right now there is no annual increase coming – and this is only the 3rd time in the last 40 years that there hasn’t been a COLA increase for those who received Social Security.

Here’s Elizabeth Warren’s call:

On January 1, for just the third time since 1975, seniors who receive Social Security won’t be getting an annual cost-of-living increase. Neither will millions of other Americans whose veterans’ benefits, disability benefits, and other monthly payments are pegged to Social Security.

Will you join me in calling on my fellow members of Congress to give seniors and veterans the raise they deserve?

Hey Kids! Download or print this graphic and staple it to your favorite bulletin board or telephone pole.

Processed meat may cause cancer, but your personal risk is probably low.

By Jill Richardson / OtherWords

By now you’ve probably heard the sobering news: Red meat may cause cancer. And bacon and other popular processed meats definitely do, the World Health Organization says.

Does that mean we all need to quit eating processed meats — no pun intended — cold turkey?

For nutrition-obsessed dorks like me, this pronouncement wasn’t news: Bacon’s been suspect for decades. Yet I still occasionally eat the stuff, and I have a weakness for a particular variety of overpriced salami sold at Whole Foods. (It’s great for camping trips, because it stays good outside the fridge.)