“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t give any information.” Speaking from his Coronado Cays home, Miguel Crespo sounds tired and shaken. His wife, Georgina, was kidnapped over a month ago. “All the family are concerned about …

Climb to South Fortuna Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park via Oak Canyon and its trickling stream.

“Bump,” “The Bomp,” “El Bompo,” “The Bump,” “Bompy,” “The Cigar.” Nobody who knew Frank Bompensiero called him by those names. “If you were a friend or family member,” said Bompensiero’s daughter Mary Ann, “you called …

Don't replace your lawns and hedges with a native-plant garden to eliminate watering. "It is relatively low-water gardening for the amount of plants, but not no-water gardening," says Encinitas native-plant landscaper Dave Buchanan. Tearing out …

To Jay Lacny, it was a simple plan designed to promote his new financial website and "raise the eyebrows" of his online competitors. The effort succeeded in raising eyebrows, all right. Unfortunately, they belonged to …

Popular online-auction company e-Bay is currently offering a made-in-Tijuana, $50 black-velvet painting of Monica Lewinsky. "I am auctioning off this Black Velvet Painting of Monica S. Lewinsky," says the pitch from the Los Angeles seller …

Dear Mr. Alice: Top of the Mulligan t'ye! Can ye be tellin' me what be an Irish pearl? I am the missus of the leprechaun who hoards that legendary pot o' gold at the rainbow's …

Matthew: Why does my fingernail grow faster than my toenail? I smashed one of each at the lumber yard last August, and the fingernail's grown back but the toenail hasn't. -- Bob, telephonically The science …

Dear Know-It-All: Why are there so many Jacks in fairy tales (Jack Be Nimble, Jack & Jill, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack Sprat, etc.). -- Not Jack, the net Hey, Joe/Bud/Mac/Bubba/John Doe. See? Lotsa general, …