Rocks are for climbing, collecting, throwing, building. They're also full of information, if you can read a rock. Scientists who become fluent in rock — geologists — peruse these old, hard texts and interpret them. …

New Year's resolution: resist the hype. Ignore it. Pay it no heed. Don't get sucked in. As we buckle up for another annum of stunning masterpieces and electrifying thrill rides, it could do no harm …

In a booming James Earl Jones voice: When we last left our hero, he had successfully crashed a Pee Wee Herman party. As he walked briskly across the street to another party, he saw the …

“Nothing is complete — things are chopped off, or they run off the edge of the canvas.”

Superintendent Alan Bersin has finally sold his Point Loma house and moved into a manse down the hill in La Playa overlooking San Diego Bay. The controversial school honcho got $1,250,000 in September, when he …

The editorial board over at the Union-Tribune lost more face last Tuesday with the defeat of George Stevens, the old Southeast San Diego pol, minister, and ex-city councilman whom the paper had endorsed over Tony …

Pink Steam. Suspect Thoughts Press, 2004; 190 pages; $16.95. FROM THE DUST JACKET: Pink steam rises from the vats of melting goo in the Vincent Price 3-D horror classic, House of Wax. Railroad buffs know …

San Diego Regional Airport Authority board member Bill Lynch is getting more than a bit of personal education in the pitfalls of running an aviation-related business. Back in November 2001, according to a recently filed …

As recently as eight or ten years ago, "when things were gritty in the Gaslamp Quarter," says downtown's Golden Pacific Art owner Catherine Wall, artists could rent small work spaces for $60 per month. "A …

Tonya Jamois, a housewife from San Marcos, leads an international grassroots movement battling the medical establishment. Dressed in tennies and a raspberry-colored velour track suit, she sits in a purple armchair in the corner of …

A tsunami originating in the little town of Clinton, Mississippi, could soon whack the larger town of San Diego, California. Clinton was the home base of WorldCom, an $11 billion accounting fraud in the telecom …

For now and for the next several years, the normally slow and painstaking trek ambitious hikers make into the middle and upper reaches of Borrego Palm Canyon will be considerably easier. Much of the impeding …

"You're gonna go wacko if you're just listening to Enya over and over again."

"Madonna, Bono, Sting, Cher. None of them are here, but in the great tradition of one-name stars like those, there's a new one about to burst on the music scene, and you're lucky enough to …

"We used to play acoustic delta blues on the corner of Prospect and Herschel. We would put on really nice suits and shine our shoes and look like we didn't need the money. But we'd …

Yes, Mother. I can see you are flawed. You have not hidden it. That is your greatest gift to me. -- Alice Walker 'You know how I can tell this is an elegant place?" I …

"I just want my money or my CDs back." The owner of a local record label says he was burned by the abrupt closing of a CD store that operated for five months out of …

There was a long line to get into L5 for its last hours on New Year's Eve. Two cops stood by and made sure no one got too rambunctious. One guy was yelling on his …

"Twenty-two days [in jail] is not enough punishment," said prosecutor Jeff Dort to the court. "I'm not an advocate for breaking up families, but I am an advocate for the rights and safety of children." …

The Associated Press' "Overlooked Albums" of 2004 includes a review of Tom Waits's Real Gone which says the one-time local nightclub doorman "has thrown dice in the back alleys of music before and found perfection …

"You need to get laid!" a drunk woman in a tube top yelled at the police officer arresting her. "What's the matter, haven't you ever [expletive] a pretty girl before?" This is according to SDPD …

"More than nine out of ten people go to counseling because they do not have a close meaningful relationship in church. Many people will go their entire life and struggle to find a good friend. …

There's a reason why Marty is 5-12 in playoff games. Defense, an excellent quarterback, and a good front line can get you into the postseason, but once in, you need to take risks; be assured, …

I've crash-landed into the post-holiday wasteland. The parties and planning are over. Where needed, gifts have been returned or exchanged. The Christmas tree has kept its date with the wood chipper, and the holiday decorations …

My first script "Hello, a lot of folks with diabetes are having a tough time eating right. Well, now there's -- goddamnit!" Wilford Brimley is interrupted by a series of loud bangs. "It's bad enough …

Hi Matt: I was recently doing some deep thinking on the origin of the cow bell (as a musical instrument). I can't figure out if it's the chicken or the egg. Did we put the …

Heymatt: If my best friend or uncle entered the federal Witness Protection Program, would I even know it? I mean, would he and his family just disappear? What explanations are given, if any, to friends …

Dear Matthew: Why do people have those firefighter stickers on the back of their cars? I figure the driver must work for the fire department. But why are they advertising it? Is it in case …

Hi Matt: Articles have been written regarding the uncertainty of the future of the Social Security system. The system is nearly 70 years old and they probably add thousands of people each day. My question …

“This place is just like Tijuana. And it’s clean. Try the tripe.”