Opinion

Blogs, Books, Dean Weissmann presents, Featured January 14, 2022

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 25: ‘Igor Comes to Town’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/.) Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/) Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE Igor, a startling performance artist from New York, visits the gang. Igor makes the usual splash upon arrival and his story is told. He supervises the creation of Snack Rack, a discarded postcard tree filled with…

Blogs, Books, Columns/Blogs, Dean Weissmann presents, Featured January 14, 2022

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 26: ‘Moriarty on a Hot Tin Roof’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/.) Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/) Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Tyger investigates a prisoner in Picayune, Mississippi; as well as the strange behavior of indigenous yahoos. Then, Tyger links up with Joe and Lana on a complicated Vietnam style mission near Hammond in pursuit of Joe’s…

Blogs, Books, Dean Weissmann presents, Featured January 14, 2022

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 27: ‘Savior of Suriname’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/.) Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/) Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Mac discusses his visit to the beach. Tyger and Armor’s talk about environmentalism and abortion rights. Tyger investigates a topless club owner and others in Morgan City. Then, the most amazing revelations concerning the Mildred Baker…

Blogs, Books, Dean Weissmann presents, Featured January 14, 2022

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 28: ‘Covering (Up) the 1988 Republican National Convention’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/.) Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/) Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT IRS Inc. temporarily suspends operations. Tyger turns  attention to the Republican National Convention taking  place in August 1988 at the Louisiana Super home dome Discussion of Republican tactics, strategies, and activities taking place within the context…

Blogs, Books, Dean Weissmann presents, Featured January 14, 2022

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 30: ‘Final Thoughts: Postmortems or Postmasters’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/.) Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/) Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER THIRTY Considering the philosophical underpinnings of the story and events  of the surveillance between Christmas Day 1987 and the Republican National Convention in August 1988. Also, a story concerning the odd notions of a Fourth Form English…

Del Mar/Solana Beach/Encinitas/Carlsbad, Public Policy, San Marcos, Theater, Transportation October 26, 2021

Short Stuff: Stinky flowers, chocolate master, El Super not so super, New Village Arts, SANDAG kids on the rails

Do NOT smell the flowers Morbid curiosity-seekers may be flocking to Encinitas soon, hoping to catch a whiff of a soon-to-bloom Amorphophallus titanum. The so-called “corpse flower,” named for the pungent stench emitted when it blooms, is expected to make an appearance later this month at the San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) in North County. This world-famous, ultra-rare specimen has not yet bloomed, but it is…

Blogs, Columns/Blogs, Media, Opinion, San Diego October 22, 2021

Doug Porter Day and he keeps on trucking along

A few words on my personal situation. I’ve got good news and not-so-good news. Yesterday was “Doug Porter Day” in San Diego according to a proclamation from the County Board of Supervisors. I was recognized for my many years of journalism and activism. It was surreal to be in the Board’s space. Between cancer and covid, I don’t get out a lot these days and…

Blogs, Columns/Blogs, Opinion, The World June 11, 2021

It’s my birthday. Please punch a racist for me.

Now that I’ve got your attention, do me a favor and recognize that the headline to this story is hyperbolic sarcasm. Because if you punch a racist, you’re not getting the point of what’s going on in this country. By now you’ve no doubt heard the artificially induced hue and cry over something called Critical Race Theory. With everything else that’s going on in the…

Blogs, Columns/Blogs, Opinion, Politics May 12, 2021

John “Clown” Cox investigated by Humane Society for bear abuse in gubernatorial joke

Leave it to the political clown that is John Cox, laughed out of Illinois, and now debasing Rancho Santa Fe with his circus of stupidity as he pretends to run for governor — again — and definitively loses, again. Cox’s latest brush with political stupidity of the Bozo type apparently ran afoul of the authorities, the animal control authorities, that is to say. His bizarre…

Editorial, Opinion, Public Policy, San Marcos May 12, 2021

San Marcos leaders seek to stifle free speech

The San Marcos City Council got off to a bad start during its first in-person meeting in over a year on Tuesday, May 11, and what did they do? They made the first move to limit free speech in the Valley of Discovery. Mayor Rebecca Jones along with City Council members Randy Watson, Sharon Jenkins, and Ed Musgrove voted to limit the rights of residents to…