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Post image for SEIU wins in expensive battle for Kaiser workers, rival appeals

SEIU wins in expensive battle for Kaiser workers, rival appeals

by Source on October 12, 2010

in Civil Rights & Liberties, Economy, Health, Labor, Organizing

By David Moberg / In These Times / Originally published Oct 8, 2010

One union came out on top this week at California’s Kaiser Permanente facilities.

In a much-anticipated showdown over the future of healthcare unionism in California, a substantial plurality of the 43,000 members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers-West at Kaiser Permanente facilities have voted to remain with the Service Employees union rather than join with the rival National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW).

The mail-in ballot tally announced Thursday evening was 18,290 for SEIU-UHW, 11,364 for NUHW, and 365 for no union.

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Socks for the Homeless

by Brenda McFarlane on October 12, 2010

in Civil Rights & Liberties, Culture, Economy, Health, Life Events, Organizing, San Diego

My Experience Volunteering to Help the Homeless

I’m not very grateful for socks, sorting and matching them are the worst part about doing laundry, I often leave them unsorted at the bottom of the basket and match them as I go. I recently learned the value of nice clean fresh socks by volunteering for 1st Saturdays, an informal group of people who gather to help the homeless on, you guessed it, the first Saturday of every month. Their mission is to give, share and spend time with people who are living a majority of their time on the street.

I joined them on a Friday evening to help make care packages. …

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Post image for San Diegans scramble to find venue to “join” Jon Stewart and Steve Colbert rally in DC on October 30th

San Diegans scramble to find venue to “join” Jon Stewart and Steve Colbert rally in DC on October 30th

by Staff on October 12, 2010

in Civil Rights & Liberties, Economy, Election, Organizing, San Diego, War, Peace & Empire, World News

Some San Diegans are trying to find a San Diego location for reasonable and progressive leaning people to gather to rally/watch the Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Washington D.C. rallies on October 30th. The event will be broadcast from 9 am to noon west Coast time. [SEE LINKS INSIDE}

Groups in some cities are planning simultaneous outdoor rallies via Facebook where they will watch the event live on CSPANn, but there does not seem to be much going on in San Diego. For an outdoor event, money would need to be raised to set up screens/cable feeds etc.

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National “Call-In Day” to Stop FBI Harassment – October 12th

October 12, 2010
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Also: Sign the Petition to Stop FBI Harassment – [see below]

Join peace and solidarity activists all around the country today in the National “Call-In Day” to stop the FBI harassment of this community of American activists. October 12th is the day.

More anti-war and international solidarity activists are scheduled to appear before a Grand Jury in Chicago on Tuesday October 12th. The first group of activists subpoenaed on October 5th decided not to testify. On Tuesday we are organizing a NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY to support the anti-war activists targeted by the September 24 raids.

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The Next Glass Ceiling

October 12, 2010
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by Krystal Ball / Huffington Post / October 11, 2010

[Krystal Ball is the Democratic candidate for Virginia's 1st District]

When I was fifteen-years-old, I watched Hillary Clinton during the difficult times she faced when her private life and President Clinton’s private life became public. Nevermind that the people conducting the impeachment hearings were having multiple affairs and oozed hypocrisy. Nevermind that they wanted to know every voyeuristic detail of the President’s sex life under the guise of righteousness. What I remember thinking as a young woman was watching Hillary Clinton’s expression after she had to face the entire country with her private life exposed for the world to see. I admired her so much. I thought she had this toughness and grit, style and pain, all at the same time.

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Are We Adding More People to the Homeless Population?

October 11, 2010
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I noticed today, on my way out of Ocean Beach, that the ARCO station has, once again, raised the cost of gasoline over last weeks price. I noticed today, while shopping at Ralphs, the cost of meat has gone up over what it was last week.

I noticed today, while paying for my medications, that the cost has gone up since the last time I had the same prescription filled. I noticed today, while shopping at Henry’s, the cost of fruit and veggies have gone up since last week.

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350.org events celebrated 7,347 times

October 11, 2010
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by Bill McKibben / 350.org / October 11, 2010

How do you say ‘thank you’ 7,347 times?

People got to work yesterday in at least that many places around the world — the planet has never seen anything quite that widespread. Or quite that beautiful.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to visit 350.org to look through some of the thousands of pictures that we have managed to sort through so far:

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Proposition 24:Undoing Arnold’s Backroom Deals

October 11, 2010
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OB Rag Fall Elections – Part 7

As part of a series of back-room deals made by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2008 & 2009, last year’s budget plan included a series of tax breaks for businesses. They were needed to get the Republican votes necessary to get to the two-thirds vote threshold to pass the budget. These tax breaks had been considered by the legislature in previous sessions but had failed to pass.

These deals, originally scheduled to go into effect in 2011, allow corporations to get refunds for taxes already paid by writing off new losses; obtain tax credits for research and development, and use those credits in to reduce taxes on profits from other branches of the company that have nothing to do with R&D; and a lower sales-based income formula to reduce taxes for companies that trade in other states.

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What about the olives?

October 11, 2010
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by Olive Guy

What about the olives I asked? No one knew what to say. Our front yard has two large olive trees, each with weighted down branches, full of black and green oval fruit – and every shade in between. In fact, one large branch was so heavy, it cracked and dangled close to the ground. Both trees had begun to shed its fruit – that ancient delicacy.

I wanted to harvest the dozens, no hundreds of olives that were ripening and wasting their lives by falling to the hard earth below, where they would become mashed down with everything else. But no one else in the house either liked olives that much or knew what to do with them.

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Proposition 23, The Really Big Lies of Really Big Oil Companies

October 10, 2010
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OB Rag Fall 2010 Elections – Part 6

Proposition 23, which would suspend AB 32, the Global Warming Act of 2006, is the big bucks ballot box initiative this year. Proposition 19 (legalizing marijuana) may be getting the interest (at least that’s what our web stats show) and the initiative (Prop 25—coverage coming next week) changing the constitutional requirement to a simply majority for passing a budget may have the biggest long term impact, but the real slugfest is all about Proposition 23. Slick tv ads? Check. Mega-corporate war chests vs grass roots environmentalists? Check. Vote either way and the economy will shed a gazillion jobs? Check.

For those of you unfamiliar with the law that Proposition 23 is addressing, AB 32 requires …

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350.org’s Worldwide Invitation to Global Work Party on 10/10/10

October 9, 2010
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MANY SAN DIEGO EVENTS – LISTED INSIDE

From the 350.org website:
Dear World,

It’s been a tough year: in North America, oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico; in Asia some of the highest temperatures ever recorded; in the Arctic, the fastest melting of sea ice ever seen; in Latin America, record rainfalls washing away whole mountainsides.

So we’re having a party.

Circle 10/10/10 on your calendar. That’s the date.

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Your OB Rag Needs You! We are celebrating our 3rd anniversary this month!

October 8, 2010
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OBceans and other citizens of the world:

Your OB Rag needs you!

As we cruise into our Third Anniversary as a blog – we began in October 2007 – we are celebrating the fact that we’re still here – and mostly because of those who have been supporting us over these few years – and of course because of our talented writers and bloggers and photographers and techies.

Yes, the most progressive neighborhood blog in San Diego (and Southern Cali for that matter) is riding high these days – check out our statistics for this past week.

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The Agenda of ‘No’

October 8, 2010
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Strange are the times we live in. Never has this nation been in more desperate need of cooperation, but never before has this nation been so completely and totally divided (at least not in my lifetime). The November 2nd midterm elections are upon us, and they are sure to profoundly shape the immediate future of the United States, both politically and economically.

So what can we expect to see if the Republicans manage a coup?

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Proposition 22 : Welfare For The Wealthy

October 8, 2010
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OB Rag Fall 2010 Elections – Part 5

These are tough times in California. Social services, education and basic services like police and fire departments are looking at another round of cutbacks as the latest budget proposal (2011) makes it way through the legislature. Proposition 22, “The Local Taxpayer, Public Safety, and Transportation Protection Act”, seeks to constitutionally protect monies normally set aside for “funds that are allocated to local government, public safety, and transportation”. Gosh, it sounds okay, doesn’t it?

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A Response to post about the October 6th OB Planning Board meeting

October 7, 2010

Editor: The following was a response by Seth Connolly, a member of the OB Planning Board, to Dan Morales’ post about the October 6th Board meeting (”Class bias dominates OB Planning Board discussion” ).

I always appreciate Dan’s perspective, but as someone who serves on the OBPB and who was at the meeting last night, I am just going to offer a few thoughts mostly in counterbalance… speaking only for myself as a community member, of course, and not for the OBPB or in that capacity.

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Class bias dominates OB Planning Board discussions

October 7, 2010

The Ocean Beach Planning Board as the steward of the local community plan has been making a grave strategic mistake. Although the October 6th meeting was both informative and entertaining it was also revealing in terms of class perspective.

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“Yes” on Prop D – or your library and Rec Center will be permanently closed!

October 7, 2010
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That is pretty much the choice we face in voting thumbs up or down on a five year one half percent sales tax increase on Prop. D in November. Also throw in reduced Fire and Police services, which also concerns us, if D doesn’t pass.

Last month Mayor Sanders announced that the City was facing a $72Million budget deficit in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011. As you all know, yearly and sometimes twice a year budget reductions have been going on for a long time- four years in fact.

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Once again the “skunk” has taken the poster off my fence …

October 7, 2010
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What is it about this poster that is a threat to others? And, more importantly, why can’t I put a poster on MY fence, on MY property, and have it remain where I have put it as long as I want it there. Who is the skunk that thinks he can foul my yard and violate my privacy. (Of course, if you read the poster you can KNOW what the skunk thinks.)

I have had three signs removed by a “skunk” in the neighborhood. He has smelled up my yard several times since the election began. BUT…this poster is not about the election. This poster is about tolerance, understanding, and acceptance.

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Does America’s Finest City Care About People like Tyler Clementi?

October 7, 2010
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I can’t shake the sadness I feel for Tyler Clementi, the 18 year old Rutgers University student who recently took his life by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after a classmate broadcast his intimate encounter with another man online.

My goodness, how many more gay people must die due to society’s hateful attitudes towards them? Tyler wasn’t the only gay youth to end his life in September. There were about seven ….

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Proposition 21- Save the Parks! (Or a blood sucking politician will evict your granny)

October 6, 2010
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OB Rag Fall 2010 Elections – Part 4

So it’s come down to this: either vote to add an $18 annual fee to your car registration or we’ll close the State of California’s 278 Parks. This reminds me of that old National Lampoon magazine that ran with the cover art of a gun pointing at a dog and the headline: “If You Don’t Buy This Magazine, We’ll Kill This Dog”. Californians love their parks. …

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Getting to Know the Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association, Part 1: The Founders and the Power of Idealism

August 23, 2010
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I dropped by the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA) the other day to learn more about the group that organizes my favorite event of the year, the OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off. It turns out that this active organization is not only a rich source of news about their own activities but have some great stories to tell from the past.

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Savin’ Lives and Takin’ Names – the Lifeguards of Ocean Beach

August 20, 2010
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by Annie Lane / August 20, 2010

Meet Jacob Magness, a native San Diegan who’s spent the last 13 years saving lives in Ocean Beach.
As one of OB’s permanent lifeguards, Magness, 32, is no stranger to the ocean or making rescues. In fact, he’s been in or near the water for the last 24 years.

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The Strand Theater-Part 1: the Year the Porno Theater Was Stopped

September 10, 2010
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It was a gaggle of people moving back and forth – many with signs – in front of a Newport Avenue business. There was about twenty of them, many women, some children, and they began chanting:

“Get the smut out of OB! Get the smut out of OB!”

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The Strand Theater of Ocean Beach – Part 2 – Memories from the Seventies

September 14, 2010
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Mention the Strand Theater to an OB “old-timer” and a smile instantly embraces their face. And probably a laugh too. Now I don’t mean “old-timer” in the classic sense (the stooped-over scraggly white-haired old guy) – I mean somebody who experienced the Strand in its heydays of the Seventies. The Strand does brings back good memories to them. Funny memories. Incredible memories.

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The Ocean Beach Pizza Port wins silver medal for its Skidmark Brown.

September 19, 2010
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Some things in life are a given, and right up there with death and taxes is the fact that San Diego’s talented stable of brewers will bring home the hardware at Denver’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF). The largest annual beer competition in the U.S., …

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The Great Bumper Sticker ‘Wars’ Over the Years

September 22, 2010
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The recent sticker “wars” in Ocean Beach have reminded me of just how much a student of bumper stickers I really am – and one of my favorites was circa 1969. Highlighting the political tension in America back in the late Sixties and early Seventies, this one was quite famous: “America: Love it or leave it.” It had the flag either in the background or on the side.

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New City benches along Sunset Cliffs cool … illegal dumping by city workers not so cool.

September 21, 2010
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by Jim Grant

Ocean Beach is known for being Ocean friendly and aware of the community and environment. And the association between the two. Surf Rider Paddle Out’s…Beach Clean Up’s and the like are very common in Ocean Beach. People come from all over San Diego to watch the sunset ……From Dog Beach to Ladera Street, the Cliffs and Beach is packed with people coming to enjoy the sunset.

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Stewart and Colbert’s political ‘joke’ – both plan “dueling rallies” in DC

September 21, 2010
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Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have cast their faux dueling Washington rallies as a kind of grand satire of the current state of media and politics.

“It’s just like everything they do – it’s really for the joke,” said one person familiar with the planning of the October 30 event, who asked – in the spirit of the “Daily Show” – to be described as a “senior administration official.”

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10 Terrible Things Republicans Will Try to Do If They Take Over in November

September 22, 2010
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Democrats are in trouble come November. If current polling is any indication, Republicans have a good chance of reclaiming a majority in the House of Representatives and perhaps even the Senate (though the Senate is a less likely prospect). That’s not because people are wildly excited about Republicans. In fact, a recent poll shows that registered voters rate the GOP’s performance as worse than the Democrats’. But the enthusiasm gap between the parties gives the GOP an advantage; a nine-point advantage among likely voters, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll .

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California Marijuana Legalization Opposed by Beer Industry – duh!

September 22, 2010
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The California Beer & Beverage Distributors is spending money in the state to oppose a marijuana legalization proposition on the ballot in November, according to records filed with the California Secretary of State. The beer sellers are the first competitors of marijuana to officially enter the debate; backers of the initiative are closely watching liquor and wine dealers and the pharmaceutical industry to see if they enter the debate in the remaining weeks.

The opposition to pot among beer makers, however, is not unanimous among the CBBD’s membership. …

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Jon Stewart’s ‘Rally to Restore Sanity’ could draw tens of thousands

September 23, 2010

‘The Daily Show’ event is planned as a comical response to Glenn Beck’s recent rally — but politically minded fans are taking it, and Stephen Colbert’s ‘March to Keep Fear Alive,’ seriously. The moment Shawna Riley heard Jon Stewart lay out his plans to hold a “Rally to Restore Sanity” on Oct. 30 on the National Mall, she raced to get online and book her hotel and airline tickets. The 41-year-old owner of an advertising firm, who lives in Marble Falls, Texas, described the event as “one of those we-got-to-be-there moments.”

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Retired Florida Man Bicycling From OB to East Coast to Aid Gulf Coast Oil Spill Victims.

September 23, 2010
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A Gulf Breeze couple is riding across America in support of the families who are victims of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill. Feeling an obligation to help, Roger and Vicki Grooters of Gulf Breeze embarked Friday, Sept. 10 on a cross-country ride. Roger is riding his bicycle from Ocean Beach in San Diego, Calif., to Jacksonville – a distance of approximately 3,200 miles.

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Long-term unemployed aim to become a political force

September 23, 2010

People who have exhausted their jobless benefits are pressing policymakers for more aid and joining together to call attention to their cause.

After his wife of 23 years pulls out of the driveway every morning to head to college, Scott Mathewson sits down at the computer in his apartment and talks to his unemployment group.

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Part 1: Is There a Feminist in the House?

September 24, 2010
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fem·i·nism ( Merriam Webster Dictionary)

1: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes

2: organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests
_________________
Feminism is a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.” Pat Robertson

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Reader Rant: Ice cream’s strangest flavor: bovine growth hormone

September 24, 2010
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Reader Rant by Anonymous Health Nut

This is why when I see all those pink ribbons on the ads that are geared towards “the cure’ for breast cancer, I go ballistic! We do not need another drug to fight a disease that kills and disfigures a person’s body and life. We need to clean up the crap in our air, water and food supply. Bottom line is greed is causing breast cancer; the greed of corporations who have no consciousness regarding clean food air and water.

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Another Stupid Law: ‘No Mail Slots Allowed’

September 24, 2010
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by Judi Curry

Who are these stupid people that make up these stupid laws? It is inconceivable to me that a majority of our elected officials are so stupid that they can all agree on this one.

Here is the scenario: I have an external mailbox, attached to the stucco of my house, near the front door. Yesterday I saw a person distributing flyers look through my mail before he left me his own flyer – in the mailbox, by the way, which is also against the law.

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The 2010 Fall Election Season – Part One: Dishonesty, Deceit and Deception

September 24, 2010
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In just a few short weeks, we’ll be offered the opportunity to vote in State and local elections. Most of us won’t vote. In the 2006 California mid-term election, nearly 60% of eligible voters declined to cast a ballot. While that statistic is lamentable, here’s the silver lining: a relatively small number of motivated voters can determine the tone and direction of San Diego and California. That could be you!

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Sarah Palin’s Top 10 Tea Party Mamma Grizzlies (from DC Douglas)

September 24, 2010
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D.C. Douglas, a veteran character actor and voice over artist, has produced another in a series of comedic political videos. “Sarah Palin’s Top 10 Tea Party Mamma Grizzlies” is a 4 minute voter’s guide to Sarah Palin’s mid-term Tea Party congress candidate picks.

“I find it best to put all your crazy tea bags into one pot so you can get a real taste of Sarah Palin’s political acumen,” says Mr. Douglas.

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Ocean Beach Skatepark Fence Saves Kids

September 26, 2010
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By Jim Grant

This car was speeding down interstate 8 yesterday at 4pm, he tried to make the green light at 8 and Sunset Cliffs he ran the red light, skidded around the corner, slid between a concrete barrier (set up to keep cars from crashing into the skate park) and a trio of 40 foot palm trees. If he had hit either of these two things no doubt the car would have split in two, he was doing at least 70 mph at this time. He continued down the sidewalk and landscaping leaving skid marks and a path of debris behind him. He plowed into the 8′ high fencing surrounding the Ocean Beach skate park which was FULL of kids. The fencing crumpled like an aluminum can….

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Memories and the OB Spaceman

September 27, 2010
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By Warren Patch

Ocean Beach has always been a colorful place. The Hippies seem to perpetually reinvent themselves there; long hair, short hair, dread hair, dirty hair, blue hair, no hair, it’s all cool. And tie-dye is still vogue. I buy mine at Sunshine Daydreams on Newport Avenue.

One of the all-time great characters of OB was Clint Carey, alias OB SPACEMAN. He used to sell plots of land on the moon. And he was the only OB’cean who had personally met the “Outer Space People” when they came visiting, and he alone was authorized to sell tickets for spaceship rides when they returned.

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Obama Will Triumph — So Will America

September 26, 2010
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Editor: Despite the following being nine months old, we thought we’d share it.

By Frank Schaeffer

Before he’d served even one year President Obama lost the support of the easily distracted left and engendered the white hot rage of the hate-filled right. But some of us, from all walks of life and ideological backgrounds — including this white, straight, 57-year-old, former religious right wing agitator, now progressive writer and (given my background as the son of a famous evangelical leader) this unlikely Obama supporter — are sticking with our President.

Why?– because he is succeeding.

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I was Like a Whale Swimming in the Middle of the Sea in OB

September 27, 2010
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Man, did I have a good time
in OB,
much like the time a whale
I saw in a watercolor
on a table
in the middle of the street
seemed to be having
to me -

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US Drones patrol border as part of militarization of region

September 27, 2010
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As Mexicans celebrated the 200th anniversary of their independence from Spain last week, evoking a history of resistance against colonialism, a disturbing development unfolds on the country’s northern border: a fleet of US Predator B drones has been deployed on constant patrol.

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Anti-War Activists in the Nation’s Heartland Under Attack!

September 27, 2010
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By Rocky Neptun

The sweeping assaults across the nation on peaceful anti-war activists Sept. 24th represent an ominous divergence for an administration which was elected to change the heavy-handed policies of the Bush regime. Like something straight out of the Ashcroft playbook, FBI agents, in cooperation with local authorities, raided homes and offices in Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota. Government thugs also showed up at the doors of progressives and human rights activists in North Carolina and San Jose, California.

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Still Pointers after all these years: PLHS class of 1950 reunites

September 27, 2010
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What makes someone in San Diego a local is sometimes debatable, but it’s hard to dispute the status of the folks who got together at the Bay View Restaurant at the Marine Corp Recruit Depot on Friday, Sept. 24. This was the 60th reunion of Point Loma High School’s class of 1950, a festive and feel-good gathering of folks who can out-local just about anybody on the Peninsula.

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Independent Steve Gronke could knock longtime County Supervisor Bill Horn off

September 28, 2010
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by Andy Cohen

Steve Gronke wants your vote, North County. The 10 year veteran of the Vista City Council has changed course and mounted a thus far successful challenge to 16 year incumbent, Bill Horn, for the 5th District seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. The once dark horse candidate surprised the experts in last June’s primary and forced a runoff for November 2.

But the race isn’t over yet. And Gronke hopes to finish the job and bring some new blood and ideas to the County government. Gronke is the rarest of political figures in today’s hyper-partisan environment.

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Census survey shows 100,000 more San Diegans have fallen into economic hardship

September 28, 2010
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By Center on Policy Initiatives / September 28, 2010

More than 100,000 San Diego County residents fell from the middle class into poverty or severe economic hardship over the past two years, while the wealthiest fifth of earners continued to receive almost half of all income generated in the County.

US Census data released today reinforce the desperate need for good jobs that pay living wages, a CPI analysis shows. Almost half the adults living in extreme poverty in 2009 were working full- or part-time, and families with children were particularly hard hit.

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Anger mounts as a private company takes over libraries – including one in LA County

September 28, 2010
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SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A private company in Maryland has taken over public libraries in ailing cities in California, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas, growing into the country’s fifth-largest library system.

Now the company, Library Systems & Services, has been hired for the first time to run a system in a relatively healthy city, setting off an intense and often acrimonious debate about the role of outsourcing in a ravaged economy.

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Third parties, cooperate with the Democrats, or leave them to their own devices.

September 28, 2010
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The Socialist Salon hosted a community forum on “left parties” and the possibility of working with the Democratic Party to create social change in our country that matches the ideals of the current “third parity’s” ideals. The event was held at the Joyce Beers Community Center on 9/19 with panelists from the Peace and Freedom Party, Green Party and PDA/Progressive Democrats of America.

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The Rolling Stone Interview of Barack Obama

September 29, 2010

The following is an article from the October 15, 2010 issue of Rolling Stone.

We arrived at the southwest gate of the white house a little after one o’clock on the afternoon of September 17th. It was a warm fall day, but the capital felt quiet and half-empty, as it does on Fridays at the end of summer, with Congress still in recess.

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Are we there yet? The long road to equality for women…..

September 29, 2010
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“Feminism is doomed to failure because it is based on an attempt to repeal and restructure human nature.” … “What I am defending is the real rights of women. A woman should have the right to be in the home as a wife and mother.” Phyllis Schlafly

“Schlafly’s discussion reveals a paradox. She was able to have it all: family and career. And she did it by fighting those who said they were trying to get it all for her.…” Pia de Solenni

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Solidarity rally in support of activists raided by the FBI in 4 states Friday Sept 24th

September 29, 2010

San Diego Demonstrates in Solidarity
Thursday Sept 30th @ 5pm at the Federal Building

STOP the FBI Witch hunts & ‘Terrorism Warrants’ against Socialists, Solidarity and Peace Activists!

Last Friday, Sept. 24th the FBI raided the homes and offices of more than a dozen activists in 4 states and pursued others in at least 2 other states carting away in one case, 40 boxes of personal, computer and cell phone materials.

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OB Rag Fall 2010 Elections Part 2 – Proposition 19: A Vote To Legalize Marijuana

September 30, 2010
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I read the news today, oh boy…

Pull up a chair and stayed tuned over the next few weeks as I walk you through the candidates and ballot proposals for 2010…

This should have been the easiest of all the propositions on this fall’s California ballot for me to write about, but it’s not turned out that way. It’s a very personal story, and I invite you to walk down this path with me as I explore my reasoning.

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OB Oktoberfest 2010

October 2, 2010
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I love an outdoor party; there’s nothing better than enjoying good music, sun, an ocean breeze, dancing, fun people and beer at the same time and OB is the ultimate outdoor party town. There’s a party for every season and then some, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Next Saturday is OB’s Oktoberfest.

I managed to grab one of organizers of this year’s OB homage to German beer drinking the other day …

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“Mad as Hell Doctors” Rally Monday Oct 4th for Single Payer Health Insurance in California

October 4, 2010

RALLY FOR SINGLE PAYER HEALTH INSURANCE IN CALIFORNIA

WHERE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

1600 PACIFIC HIGHWAY

WEST PLAZA

SAN DIEGO, CA 92101

WHEN: MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2010

11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

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School dropouts – What we aren’t doing for them…

October 5, 2010
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by Judi Curry

I am a high school dropout that went back to school and ended up as an assistant professor at local colleges.

I went back and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Educational Teaching and followed up with a Masters Degree in Elementary/Secondary Education Administration. I was an Assistant Professor at SDSU and UCSD, Extension, working with new teachers in developing curriculum to meet the needs of their individual students. I was a teacher; a Vice Principal; a Principal; A Director of Education and Vocational training as well as a Deputy Director of a Job Corps site shortly before retiring in 2004.

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Uncle Sam says “No fear!”

October 5, 2010
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(Tip o’hat to Judi Curry)

//

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The Down and Dirty Side of Democracy: Propositions 20 and 27—Drawing Lines in the Sand

October 5, 2010
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OB Rag Fall Elections – Part 3

Once upon a time, there was this country whose founders that had the idea that the people ought to have some say in their governance. They’d had a rather bad experience with this monarchy/colony deal and felt that there had to be a better way. It was a very radical idea at the time. There were founding fathers that feared that the rabbled masses would wreak havoc, so compromises were reached to insure that the elite, landed classes of the time ….

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San Diegans in Big Sur’s Court

October 5, 2010
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It was a rainy and humid day when we packed up and headed for Big Sur last Thursday. Patty had never driven the famous Highway 1 – Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), nor had she ever seen Big Sur, and had never been to Hearst Castle. And I aimed to change all that. With camping tent, propane stove, food for 4 days and 2 plastic chairs, we packed up the PT Cruiser and headed out of town with a big sigh – ‘finally’- !

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Mothers Rally Outside DA Dumanis Office to Pressure Her to Support Prop 19 – Marijuana Legalization

October 5, 2010
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MSNBC has reported that a group of local mothers rallied outside DA Bonnnie Dumanis’ downtown office today to galvanize the district attorney to support Prop 19, the marijuana legalization initiative on November’s ballot. The group, called Moms United to End the War on Drugs, believe that legalization of pot will bring a halt to the waste and violence of this so-called war on drugs.

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Interview with “Terriers” Gretchen Character

October 6, 2010
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While you may recognize Kimberly Quinn from her guest spots on House, Two and a Half Men, CSI: NY, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, it’s her current role as Gretchen Dolworth on FX’s critically acclaimed new series Terriers that is turning into her coming out party.

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Ocean Beach Planning Board Agenda for Oct 6, 2010

October 6, 2010
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Here is the agenda for the OB Planning Board meeting for Wednesday, October 6, 2010. The meeting will be held at the OB Rec Center at Santa Monica and Ebers, and begins at 6pm.

(Go inside to read the agenda.)

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Michael Moore: Eisenhower was right!

October 6, 2010
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by Michael Moore / OpenMike blog

So … it turns out President Eisenhower wasn’t making up all that stuff about the military-industrial complex.

That’s what you’ll conclude if you read Bob Woodward’s new book, Obama’s War.

In fact, after you read Woodward’s book, you’ll split a gut every time you hear a politician or a government teacher talk about “civilian control over the military.”

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