End of Summer Beach Report Card

Nice and clean!

Well how about that! Our wonderful San Diego beaches are really clean! It’s true. The Heal the Bay organization just released it’s End of Summer Beach Report Card, and 78 of the 79 beaches in San Diego received an A or B grade for water quality. Hell yeah! I’ve always thought our beaches were special… now I have proof! I’ve got a friend who always rags on me for going to the “shitty San Diego beaches” all the time, but now I have something to shove right in his smug face! Ha!

Via SignOnSanDiego.Com:

All but one of San Diego County’s 79 monitored beaches had excellent water quality during the summer months, according to a report released today by the environmental group Heal the Bay.

According to Heal the Bay’s 2009 “End of Summer Beach Report Card,” 78 of the 79 beaches in San Diego County monitored between Memorial Day and Labor Day received an A or B grade for water quality.

The only dark spot this summer was Pacific Beach Point, which received an F grade, according to Heal the Bay.

Heal the Bay attributed a five-year trend of improved beach water quality to local efforts to divert storm drain runoff into sewage treatment systems during the busy summer months.

There were two known sewage spills in San Diego County that led to beach closures this summer, one at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach and the other at the Oceanside Pier, according to Heal the Bay.

Statewide, beachgoers in California experienced a third consecutive summer of excellent water quality, according to Heal the Bay.

KPBS – San Diego Beaches Get Top Marks In Beach Report Card.

Heal the Bay – 2009 End of Summer Beach Report Card

La Jolla Cove Swim Club’s 10-mile Relay

Swimming for charity! Yay!

I’ve always enjoyed swimming in the ocean, but I don’t think I’d enjoy doing this. Swimming for 10 miles doesn’t seem like something I’d enjoy doing. Sure, a few laps around the pool… okay. But that’s about it. Yeah… the La Jolla Cove Swim Club did raise a bunch of money for charity though… soooo… YAY!

Via La Jolla Light:

Eight teams and 11 solo swimmers – a total of more than 350 -competed in Sunday’s La Jolla Cove Swim Club’s 10-mile relay.

Most teams had five people, although some had fewer, meaning each had to swim more than two miles, according to event chairmen John Heffner and Tom Hecker.

They said early indications are that they will distribute between $12,000 and $15,000 to the American Diabetes Association, San Diego Junior Lifeguard Foundation and the La Jolla Cove Swim Club.

Winners in various categories were Solo Men – Steven Litchfield (3:22:58); Solo Women – Karen Schmidt (3:10:25); All Male Team (no wetsuits) – Blue Lips Sapphire (3:09:17); All Female Team (no wetsuits) – Coronado Masters (3:51.42).

In the age-group categories that are based on the combined ages of five team members: Minnows (91-150 years) – The “A” Team (3:22:58); Dolphins (151-200) – Eat Our Bubbles (3:28:25); Sea Bass (201-250) – Blue Lips Ruby (3:07:58) Garibaldis (251-299) – Team Cannardly (3:05:20); Poseidons (300+) – Live Bait (3:46:28).

The Eat Our Bubbles swimmers took honors as Top Fundraising Team.

Heffner and Hecker gave a special nod to all of the local businesses that supported the ninth annual event.

New Stadium for the Chargers!

Well it’s about time! I hope this rumor turns out to be true. If the new stadium is built where they say it is going to be built, it’ll be about 20 minutes closer to where I live. That just might be enough incentive for me to get season tickets. Good job, Chargers! Please please please come to North County! Here’s the latest news:

Via San Diego Entertainer Magazine:

The San Diego Chargers have long been rumored to be one of the teams that the suits in Los Angeles want to bring to LA. If the current rumors are true, the Chargers’ name can be scratched off the list of candidates.

The Entertainer sources have provided unconfirmed word that Oceanside and Escondido may be close to agreeing on constructing a stadium and mixed-use facility to help fund the stadium. The cities and the Chargers are supposedly in current discussions about forming a partnership that would help find enough room for the stadium and the mixed-use development that is necessary to help raise money for the stadium.

Billions More Needed for Border Fence

Screw you, border fence!

Come on Obama… really? Why are you letting this go forward? You’re the freakin’ President! This won’t actually stop the flow of immigration… it’ll just cost us money, and create more hassle for all of us. Studies have shown that it’s not going to make us any safer. Bah!

Via NBC San Diego:

A government audit released Thursday said it will cost taxpayers $6.5 billion over the next 20 years to maintain fencing along the U.S-Mexico border.

Despite the high price tag attached to maintaining the fence, authorities have not found a way to determine whether it has helped control illegal immigration, according to a new report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report also states that as of May 14, 2009, that there have been 3,363 breaches in the fence. Each breach costs about $1,300 to fix, states the GAO.

The $6.5 billion price tag is in addition to the $2.4 billion that has already been spent building more than 600 miles of fence segments along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The fence, an initiative from the Bush administration, has faced several delays and cost increases. The technology portion of the government’s plan to secure the border continues to be delayed, states the GAO report. Until the technology portion is complete, the Border Patrol will not know if the security measures are working.

Charles Pope of the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego is not surprised by the cost of maintaining the border fence. Pope said he thought that those billions of dollars would be better spent helping Mexico improve its economy. He said that a stronger Mexican economy would encourage Mexicans to stay and work in their own county instead oif trying to cross illegally into the U.S.

The fence has been called a “serious challenge” by chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson.

Boeing Co. has the contract for the technology portion. Tim Peters, Boeing’s vice president of global security, said the company has learned valuable lessons and that it’s not “uncommon” to run into unexpected technological challenges in projects such as this, according to the Associated Press.

The government report states that the border fence will likely be completed in 2016.

Blink 182 and Weezer Tonight!

Rock and Roll!

Tonight is the night! Cricket Amphitheatre. San Diego. Weezer. Blink 182. Me.

Two of my favorite bands playing together in my own home town! I cannot tell you how excited I am for this! I bought my tickets the day they went on sale so they are pretty fucking badass. I will be able to smell Rivers Cuomo!

San Diego Chargers Owned The Raiders

Hell yeah!

We won! Hooray! It wasn’t pretty or easy… but we did it! Let’s just hope the Bolts don’t play like that the rest of the year. I really enjoyed, and agreed with, what John at Bolts From The Blue had to say about the game in his Bolts and Dolts column:

Well that certainly seemed a lot like 2008, didn’t it?  The defense didn’t show up until the second half, the offense didn’t look effective until the fourth quarter, but yet the team manages to squeak out a victory. It was ugly, it was jarring, but if the San Diego Chargers can come out and win 2 of their next 3 games against Baltimore, Miami and Pittsburgh, we’ll forget all about how close the team came to losing this one.

Let’s be honest though.  That was not the same Oakland Raiders team we are used to seeing.  With their offensive line pushing people around, and the defense knocking Chargers out of the game with injuries on seemingly every play, that looked more like a Bill Parcells coached football team.  Give credit to the Raiders and Tom Cable, who may ride that recipe for success to a competitive finish in the AFC West.

Another great site that graded different aspects of the game is the Silver and Black Report. Be sure to check it out. I really enjoyed reading it.

Bomb Threat Causes Bank of America Evacuation

Crazy old white man!

Man, there are some seriously crazy people in this world. Check this out:

Via 10 News:

SAN DIEGO — Police arrested a man who claimed to have a bomb strapped to his body at a bank in City Heights, 10News reported.

Authorities evacuated a Bank of America branch office Monday in the 4100 block of El Cajon Boulevard in City Heights due to a bomb threat, a police spokeswoman said.

According to Monica Munoz of the San Diego Police Department, a white man with a beard and cane appearing to be about 50 to 60 years old entered the bank, claimed to be carrying an explosive device and demanded cash.

All customers and employees left the building, but the would-be thief remained inside, the spokeswoman said. Officers have shut down traffic lanes in the area and surrounded the bank.

Police said the man apparently left the bank, but was arrested at a nearby residence.

First of all, that story doesn’t make sense. Second… what’s up with old white men going crazy? I mean… there was that ridiculous 912 march of liars in Washington DC, and now this??? Yikes.