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You Don’t Have to Eat Cat Food

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By Tom Hunter

Since my retirement and application for Social Security at the age of 63, I have gradually learned how to live frugally.

Whenever I think I’ve cut expenses to the bone, it seems like the rent goes up by 30% or the State of Nevada finds me and wants $225 a month in child support.  At the end of all this I am left with $125 dollars a month for food and TV and Internet and gas and electric.

I no longer have a vehicle of my own, but my children provide me alternately with a car and a motorcycle.  I have ridden motorcycles since I was fourteen, but I was definitely out of practice and the new bikes are heavier and faster than anything I ever owned.

This month, on the first day of my direct deposit from Uncle Sam, I spent $60 on groceries, and before the day was out I was a little short on the rent for next month.    [Read more…]

Our Promising Bicycling Future in San Diego

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Don’t Miss
CicloSDias
August 11th

By Andy Hanshaw 

Ciclovía – a familiar term to any bicycling enthusiast, where popular roads turn car-less for people to play and literally rediscover their streets.

These open-street celebrations have trademarked bike-friendly cities around the world since the first Ciclovía was hosted in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1976, when the town closed one road to all cars and opened them for pedestrian use. Since then, the trend of people enjoying their streets without the stress of car traffic has made its way around the globe and into major cities where residents embrace these opportunities – in Bogotá, the Ciclovía still remains a city tradition every Sunday.

Since its conception in the late 70s, Ciclovías have swept the world, taking over main cities in Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Argentina, Canada and now, the United States is pedaling along. Turnout for Los Angeles’ “CicLAvia” has been recorded at 180,000 people, while San Francisco and Portland regularly draw 30,000-40,000 with their “Sunday Streets” and “Sunday Parkways.”.

We are finally getting in on the action, announcing San Diego’s first open streets celebration in history.   [Read more…]

About That Recall Filner Idea…

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By Jay Powell

Like a lot of people who strongly support the “neighborhoods first” policy commitment set forth by Mayor Bob Filner I have been on the revoltin’ remain-recall-resign roller coaster oscillating between disgust, disappointment, despair, dedication and determination regarding the daily drumbeat of “revelations” and political attacks on Bob Filner.

I am particularly wary of the recall option when I recollect two recalls that have affected San Diego within the last recent decades– a city councilmember in 1991 and, of course our Governor in 2003.

In each of these elections, the incumbent was voted out and the winner received less than a 50% plus one of the votes cast. Schwarzenegger (who incidentally was plagued by accusations of inappropriate behavior towards women in the final run up to election day) got almost 49%. Tom Behr won the Fifth District City Council seat with barely 25% of the votes cast. Done deal. No run off.

The main distinguishing and disturbing feature of a recall “election” is that the highest vote getter of the free-for-all alternative candidates listed after the yes or no on recall vote, wins it all.   [Read more…]

Local Citizens Working to Combat Climate Change with SanDiego350

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By Angela Deegan

SanDiego350.org (SD350) is a local, all-volunteer, citizens’ group set up in 2011 with the goal of combatting climate change.  It is one of 142 local groups in 61 countries that are part of 350.org’s global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis.

It evolved from a Balboa Park rally demanding a clean energy future, in support of 350.org’s international day of action.  The organizers of that September 2011 rally found they had such good synergy it made sense to continue to work together on climate change.

Co-founder Simon Mayeski, an activist, organizer and native San Diegan living in Tierrasanta “saw the smarts, the dedication and the excitement” of those who organized that rally and found he just had to put himself in with them.   [Read more…]

Draconian Obstructions, Logical Fallacies and the Decline of America

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By Ishmael Von Heidrick-Barnes

Recently, I had to book a flight on a major airline using miles I had accrued with the carrier.  What should have been a simple transaction turned into a time-consuming labyrinth of automated answering machines and passive-aggressive procedural dead-ends.  I suspect the process was designed by lawyers to deliberately frustrate customers into giving up using the air miles awarded them.

After three days and six hours of attempting to penetrate the airline’s technological gatekeepers, I can’t say the obstructions I faced were resolved to my satisfaction.   The psychological energy required to deal with Draconian obstructions and logical fallacies left me physically exhausted (which, I will wager, was something the architects of the airline procedural guidelines were deliberately hoping to evoke).   [Read more…]

Readers Write: Who Put the Police Department in Charge of the Press?

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By Tom Hunter

Son of a bitch.

The reporters in this town owe their credentials to the San Diego Police Department.  That’s right.  A friend with 30 years of credentials with the SDPD got the comment last time he renewed his Press Pass – “I haven’t heard one complaint about you”.

This is the kind of reporters we allow in San Diego?  The ones who haven’t ruffled a feather in 30 years?  Specifically a political feather or a law enforcement feather.  Who put the police department over the press?   [Read more…]

Readers Write: Spy vs. Spy

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By Tom Hunter

It seems to me that the progressive wing of humanity has lost its enthusiasm for heros.  President Obama is blamed for the obstruction of the federal government by the teabaggers and his inability to overcome the inertia of the federal government.

The most powerful people in Washington are not elected.  They are senior Washington bureaucrats that stay on in Washington no matter who gets elected.  These bureaucrats are closely entwined with the Pentagon and the Defence Contractor Empire.

So, it seems to me, anyone who brings to light knowledge of what these reptiles are up to would be found to be on the side of humanity.  Not so much.   [Read more…]

Readers Write: Growing Up Golden

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by Lucesita Gomez

Situated south of Balboa Park lies the neighborhood of Golden Hills. This neighborhood was where I spent my childhood. I lived with my parents and my mothers’ parents in the 19th Street apartments, the ones next to the East 94 Martin Luther King, Jr. freeway sign.

I have very fond memories. Each morning I’d smell the coffee my Abuelita would make for herself and my mother, while I would have mine with milk and animal crackers. My Abuelita used wooden plates, and I always loved to hear my Lucky Charms hit the bowl.

After breakfast, I’d go exploring. Since we lived in the first house, I’d go walking along the path over to the last house. I remember there being a garden in the backyard, and I would sometimes sit and play in the dirt, or I would play in the bushes or with the flowers. In our front yard I’d sometimes go and sit on the grass, just watching people pass by, or I would sit and watch the cars go by.   [Read more…]

Readers Write: A Sneak Peek at GOP’s 2016 Platform

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By Tom Hunter

I have just received a first draft of the Republican Platform for 2016.

1. All women of child bearing age must report to their doctor weekly for a vaginal probe ultrasound. If the doctor is not on the list the probe must be held by an official of the Republican Party. Every sperm is sacred and condom prices will be increased to $10 per unit.

2. Key portions of the Old Testament must be memorized or you will not be eligible to vote.

3. Guns must be carried about the body fully loaded and ready for action, or on the nightstand in the evening.

4. People determined to be “having too much fun” will be sent away to be rehabilitated.

5. Those wishing to get off the grid by not working for corporate America will not be eligible for unemployment or food stamps. Those found helping these unfortunates will be severely disciplined.   [Read more…]

Readers Write: Surprise – Inquisition!

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By Tom Hunter

I am amazed at how the “Founding Fathers” were so wise and how they are selectively worshiped by the GOP.  The Constitution (stand and salute!) is only one line below the Bible with the GOP, although they only worship a certain version of the Constitution and they are always threatening to fix it and or bitch slap the Supreme Court when they disagree with some decision.

They seem to worship a kind of Norman Rockwell vision before all that “science” got in the way.  They tend to like “prescience ” things like trial by ordeal.  (Hey if she drowns – she’s innocent!)  I can’t quite figure out their fixation with “other peoples” sex lives.  You’d think these modest Christians would shun the very concept of other people’s sex.

There is s an entire industry of lobbyists working in every state to figure out how to make sex less fun (in the dark, missionary style, for procreation only and they are extremely suspicious of people who manage to get themselves raped).  The GOP has pretty much obsessed with pointing out “other people’s sins”.  Their vision may be somewhat obscured by that stick in the eye.   [Read more…]

Readers Write: Where Will Modern Economy Theory Lead Us?

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By Tom Hunter

All those high falutin’ economists from Harvard are somewhat muted with their economic models. Meanwhile, the real economic model being adopted in the United States is that of our largest corporation. The old theory is that Henry Ford was a fool for paying his people enough to buy his car. The modern theory would have him ship their jobs to Mexico or China and to hell with the domestic sales, as they are no longer the largest market.

Wal-Mart has about three guiding principles. First, the only thing they’ve got going for them is low prices. These are achieved by paying their people just enough so they can get food stamps supplemented by food banks. Their suppliers are continually required to find cheaper ways to deliver the goods or they will be replaced seamlessly with some outfit that will.   [Read more…]

Readers Write: Against the Wind

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By Tom Hunter

What vast damage has the United States suffered from revelations from Pfc Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden?

Well for starters we have been found to be not very good to our allies – “come on, everyone spies on their friends”.

Our layers of lies have been found to be redundant.  These are only hurtful to our national pride, kinda like being called out by your mom when she catches you in a bald faced lie.  Poor Snowden – being hounded for leaking front page stories from 2007.

Government is gathering and storing every piece of data that ever existed?  Not a problem – we have checks and balances.  Yes, but that check hasn’t balanced – ever.

While the Tea Baggers have spent all their time trying to burn down Congress, the Executive branch has been only too happy to leap into the breach and take all the powers that they find laying about.   [Read more…]

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