San Diego Free Press

Grassroots News & Progressive Views

Restaurant Review: Supannee House of Thai

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Supannee House of Thai  (Second time around)
2907 Shelter Island Drive 
San Diego, Ca 92106

By Judi Curry

Since there was so many responses to an earlier review in the OBRag suggesting that I visit the restaurant for the second time, my friend Eric and I did just that last Monday at lunch time.

As was the case before, we were greeted with smiles and taken to a seat. Because it was late, the restaurant only had two other tables filled when we arrived, and one other couple came in after us. (They close at 3:00pm and reopen at 5:00pm for dinner.)

We were given the same fish menu that we were given at dinner, but both of us elected to have something off of the lunch menu.   [Read more…]

Millions Against Monsanto: Five Lessons from the Battle Against GMOs

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By Ronnie Cummins / Common Dreams

Twenty years after the controversial introduction of unlabeled and untested genetically engineered foods and crops, opposition to GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and Monsanto has created one of the largest netroots-grassroots movements in the U.S.

There are arguably more important issues facing us today than the battle against Frankenfoods. The climate crisis and corporate control over the government and media come to mind. But the rapidly growing anti-GMO Movement illustrates the powerful synergy that can develop from the combined use of social media, marketplace pressure and political action. Recent developments in this sector indicate that out-of-control corporations, media, politicians and the proverbial “one percent” can be outsmarted and outmaneuvered. And quite possibly defeated.   [Read more…]

Walmart CEO: Food Stamp Cuts Could Be Good for Business

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By Doug Porter

Today’s the day.

Twenty three million Americans, including four million in California and more than a quarter million in San Diego will see a 5% reduction in their food stamp benefits starting November 1st.

As many as one in nine California families receive food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — known as CalFresh in this state.  The cuts mean a family of four will receive $632, or $36 less per month in federal food assistance, even as California food costs rise. That is the equivalent of losing roughly 21 individual meals per month based on calculations used by the Department of Agriculture.

Walmart’s CEO Bill Simon says they’re “cautious but modestly optimistic” about those cuts, despite the fact that $14 billion of the $80 billion appropriated for food stamps was spent in their stores last year.  Simon told a meeting of financial analysts earlier this year when the benefits are cut, price becomes more important to the consumers, which he said will play to Walmart’s advantage.   [Read more…]

Extreme Weather Watch: October 2013 – Fires Burn Down Australia

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By John Lawrence

Australia has had its hottest year on record, and the warm temperatures combined with dry conditions have sent over 100 wildfires whipping across the southeastern Australian state of New South Wales. The fires have caused a deep haze to descend over Sydney, Australia’s largest city, and spurred the deployment of more than 1500 firefighters across the region. Hundreds of homes were either burned or damaged. The fires impacted 82 of Australia’s parks and protected areas, including the Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than 311,000 acres were burned in New South Wales, and damage is set to exceed $100 million.

The newly reopened NASA Earth Observatory reported that temperatures up to 93°F and winds gusting to 56 mph helped fan the flames. Conditions over the past six months also played a key role. This past September was Australia’s hottest on record and kept the country on pace for a record-breaking year. Average temperatures in New South Wales were a whopping 6.1°F above the September norm. It was the country’s warmest 12-month period on record as well. Maximum temperatures were even more extreme, measuring 8.3°F above normal. The fires also came unusually  early — October is still the springtime in Australia as Australia is south of the equator and has seasons opposite to ours. Springtime or no, the region was primed to burn. The hotter summer months are still ahead!   [Read more…]

Virtual Mayoral Forum – Part 8: The Environmental Essay Question for Extra Credit

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Welcome to Day 8 of the SDFP Virtual Mayoral Forum.

All of the candidates running for mayor were invited to participate in this forum, where their verbatim answers to questions posed by our editors and contributors would allow readers to get a different look at these aspirants for higher office than they might see in a TV interview or a panel debate.

Of the major candidates only Kevin Faulconer’s campaign decided not to participate. They didn’t say “no”. They didn’t say “we’re too busy”. They didn’t say anything. And that speaks volumes about both the candidate and the campaign, we think.

SDFP will follow up next week with some analysis of the candidates’ responses, talking about whether they did or did not correspond with out values.

Today’s topic was in fact an invitation for the contenders to speak in depth about any one (or more) of  four issues.   [Read more…]

Halloween Video Picks: Don’t Go Into the Basement, Dancing Skeletons and the Ghost of Stephen Foster

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Sally Cruikshank’s animation, funny dialogue– “Do you have rabies?” “No, we gave it all away,” and Danny Elfman’s music– what is there not to like ?

Face Like a Frog/Don’t Go into the Basement and more videos!   [Read more…]

Virtual Mayoral Forum – Part 7: ObamaCare for San Diego?

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Welcome to Day 7 of the SDFP Virtual Mayoral Forum. (See Day 1, Asking about managed competition, here , Day 2, Looking back on the Plaza de Panama controversy, here, Day 3, The Building Permit Process is a Hot Mess and Plans for the Planning Department, here. Day 4.  Walkable/Bikeable Neighborhoods and Public Transit, here. Day 5, Fixing the Infrastructure, here. Day 6, What About the Homeless?, here.)

With input from our many contributors, editors put together a series of eight questions we felt were unique, not too open ended and not trite. We’re publishing one response from the candidates per day (Monday-Friday) so readers can see the verbatim responses side by side.

We emailed the questions to the addresses listed with the City Clerk’s office as contact points, knowing most of the minor candidates wouldn’t respond. Kevin Faulconer’s campaign is refusing to participate. We can only assume–and, believe me we’ve tried to get them involved– their non-response sends a message about their openness to the citizens in this city. You can decide what that message is.

The complete questionnaire can be found here.

SDFP editor Doug Porter provides context for today’s question: What about the Affordable Care Act?   [Read more…]

Why Blackface Isn’t Funny and Other Halloween Tales

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By Doug Porter

A couple of football coaches from San Diego’s Serra High School have been in the news this week after photographs of them wearing blackface as part of their “Jamaican Bobsled Team” halloween costumes surfaced.

San Diego Unified School District officials have acknowledged “inappropriate activities” and are investigating the incident, which seems to have involved a non-school related party.

To nobody’s surprise the UT-San Diego has a letter to the editor today decrying the ‘political correctness’ of the situation.  Reader Jack Cohen opines, “The absolutely priggish administrator who said that we cannot tolerate the slightest insensitivity should be exiled to the next universe.”   [Read more…]

Child Labor Shouldn’t Haunt Halloween

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Even if the kids in my neighborhood think my fair trade chocolate is a bit weird, at least I’m not handing out dental floss.

By  / OtherWords.org

I can’t bring myself to be the Grinch who stole Halloween. I just can’t, even though I write about healthy food. I even eat (mostly) healthy food.

Friends and colleagues expect me to have something to say about Halloween. But how can anyone condemn an innocent day of costumes and candy that brings joy to so many children?

As a kid, I was no health nut. I’ve always had a sweet tooth. My first word was “cookie.” But my parents did their best to restrict the sweets in our house. Halloween represented the one glorious day a year of unfettered access to gobs of candy.   [Read more…]

Sex in San Diego: Hate to Break It to You, But You’re Probably a Slut

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Being a slut is not a bad thing. Is it time to wear it as a badge of honor?
By Anabelle Bernard Fournier / Kinkly

Are you a woman? Do you have sex?

If you answered “yes” to these two questions, then someone, somewhere, thinks you are a slut.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a slut is “a slovenly or promiscuous woman.” Of course, it’s a derogatory word. It’s meant to be an insult: “You’re a woman who’s having lots of sex! You’re dirty and a terrible person!” But these days, the word is so liberally applied that any woman who dares to speak about being a sexual person can be slapped with that label almost automatically.   [Read more…]

Controversial Privatization Expert Hired by Interim Mayor Todd Gloria

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By Doug Porter

While many San Diegans are focused on the election promises of the four major candidates contending for top job at city hall, interim Mayor Todd Gloria’s made one move that could have a serious impact on the conversations taking place about services and neighborhood.

Fox 5 San Diego reports the iMayor has retained the services of former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith (no relation to the City Attorney) as an efficiency expert.

Known as an expert in privatizing city governments, his claim to fame comes via aggressive programs government services and selling them out to the private sector.   [Read more…]

A Brief History of “Livable Neighborhoods” in San Diego

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By Jay Powell

Livable Neighborhoods was a program piloted in City Heights in the early 90′s by then City Manager Jack McGrory. It was in response to a community improvement partnership of community members and the City to bring City staff out of City Hall and into the communities. It was complemented with Neighborhood Policing that had assigned teams cruising patrol cars and bikes and meeting in storefronts to proactively address issues block by block and neighborhood by neighborhood.   [Read more…]

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