It reads like a bad science fiction novel: A small Illinois biotech company cuts a deal with UCSD. The university agrees to test a substitute for human blood on comatose patients — victims of gunshots …

'We ask parents to help their kids understand the vibe of the room. It's sometimes hard for kids, because they see adults doing playful things and they don't get that it's not uncontrolled exuberance going …

"Joseph Smith believed there are men on the moon that dress like Quakers and live to be 1000 years old. Brigham Young taught that men lived on the sun. Until 1981, the Book of Mormon …

Thirty Years Ago Attempts by a group of nude bathers to expand the number of swimsuit-optional beaches in San Diego seem headed for some rough waters. Hoping to find more room for a crowd that …

Olive Belly Button At first gasp, France's Télématin could be the identical twin cousin of The Today Show. The hosts hum along to pop music on the way back from commercial; there's corny banter; a …

“Someone left their crack out in the rain.”

With Union-Tribune publisher David Copley on the mend from surgery to give him a new heart, next up on the U-T's sick list is editor Karin Winner, who's out for several weeks after breaking her …

San Diegans wring their hands about political corruption as if it's something new. Ha. It would be better to ruminate on the economic and societal framework that has long encouraged and rewarded such corruption. The …

A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid. -- J.R.R. Tolkien I stood to survey the piles surrounding me and took a deep breath, letting it out with a long …

After the Republican Party of San Diego County endorsed Steve Francis for mayor on June 13, it wasted little time in turning its endorsement into campaign action. As of election eve, public election filings showed …

In an effort to get the key to the Subway across the street, Kip, my roommate, has come up with a clever plan. Since I'm super-famous, we figure it's only a matter of time before …

The Georgics of Virgil: Bilingual Edition. A translation and introduction by David Ferry. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005; 202 pages; $30 FROM THE DUST JACKET: John Dryden called Virgil's Georgics, written between 37 and 30 …

Patrick has joined the NRA. A couple years ago he bought a shotgun. He said the gun was for "home defense." Thankfully, it hasn't been used in that capacity, though he has used it to …

'I'm a .5." Speaking is Paul Richardson, president of San Diego Wheelchair Athletic Association and a veteran player for the San Diego Bushwackers quad rugby team. I've called to get his review of the documentary …

I bought tickets to see Frankie Valli at Humphrey's on July 11 and was told for $250 more I could get tickets to a reception with Valli -- a fund-raiser for the La Jolla Playhouse. …

“He’s afraid of stuck fermentation, but he’s also afraid of volatile acidity.”

Movies reviewed this week: À Tout de Suite, Bad News Bears, The Beat That My Heart Skipped, 5x2 and Saraband

Dear Matthew Alice: Can you find out where the expression "the whole nine yards" came from? -- Everyone in San Diego Things that make you go "No! Please! Leave me alone!" Somewhere in the office …

Matt: I'm quite pregnant, and my dear husband claims to be experiencing some of the same symptoms I am. Queasiness, leg and back pains, things like that. I've heard of this happening to other men. …

North Park is getting a new all-ages venue. Having enjoyed success staging shows at the 100-person-capacity club Basement on University between 30th and Kansas, employees of Off the Record, which moved to North Park last …

"This is my life and this is my tribe." Thad Temple has resurrected Revolt In Style, the magazine founded in 1980 as San Diego's "manual of hip." Revolt returns after three years in an attempt …

"I get to take money out of his pocket every Sunday night." For the past six months singer/songwriter Jefferson Jay has organized the Sunday night open mic at the Blarney Stone. He leaves the Clairemont …

I have no interest in Comic Con, but I can score a free press pass, so I go. Last year I tried to get a look at Angelina Jolie's lips up close, but so many …

When the Pixies play Street Scene at Qualcomm Stadium, the "male dressing room" (Frank Black, Joey Santiago, David Lovering) needs a sliced smoked salmon platter, a tin of Suisse Mocha International Coffee, a veggie platter …

“These girls are a real eyesore. I have to live with it, every day.”

This restaurant is closed. North Park has long been home to artists, writers, and bohemians of all sorts. Now the neighborhood is officially enjoying an "urban renaissance," as civic boosters call it, spotlighting the art …

Every man is a borrower and a mimic, life is theatrical and literature a quotation. --Ralph Waldo Emerson I am likable. I could prove this to you scientifically, but at the moment, with no lab …

"At the time it was cross tops and black beauties. Not yet the methamphetamine." "I was caught up in the first DUI sweep in San Diego. I had my picture on the front page of …

"One-third of my generation is dead because of abortion. Forty-five million babies have been murdered," said Edgar Savage Brown III, 25-year-old founder of the local Bound4Life chapter. Bound4Life's website claims they are "a nonviolent revolutionary …

'GameRiot is what you get when you cross a video game with a rave," says Matt Ringel, executive producer of GameRiot, which, according to its website, is "the largest traveling video-game festival and competition in …

Thirty Years Ago The men at Spanky's stand around sipping drinks, talking about their Porsches, and sizing up the "prospects." At times there's a pretty intense meat-market atmosphere, understandable in a place where most men …

The Cat Came Back Over quiche and strawberries at a recent Parisian blogger picnic, the questions fired at me reflect an eerie insight, considering that most of these people I have never met (virtual relations …

“My nerves were all over the place.”

What is it with local pols and their affinity for baseball? First it was Bonnie Dumanis, who called her April fund-raiser "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and...Bonnie Dumanis for District Attorney." Now comes county treasurer …

Know Thyself. -- Socrates As a girl, all I ever wanted in life was for my dream man to ride up on a horse or BMW, get on one knee, and profess his love for …

Scrawled in my notebook during Comic-Con Wednesday July 13, 2005 1:21 p.m. Eating lunch downtown with Kip and Renee before walking to the convention center. On the street outside the restaurant are two men waiting …

Hemmed in by hundred-foot cliffs on one side and the restless surf on the other, Crystal Cove State Park's three miles of sandy beachfront seem strangely detached from the busy Orange County world above. Aside …

The Good Priest's Son by Reynolds Price. Scribner, 2005; 288 pages; $26. FROM THE DUST JACKET On September 11, 2001, Mabry Kincaid -- a fiftyish art conservator -- is flying home after a much-needed rest …

Are there worlds all around me that I can't see?" asked my nine-year-old son. He had just finished reading Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who, in which the big-eared elephant Horton hears the cries of …

I was invited to a pig roast that has a website devoted to the event. Bruce Dahl's website has stories posted from past parties, which he has been hosting each year for the past 14 …

Continuing with Michael Bogey, who spends his time in the company of things that go fast. Bogey competes or has competed in luge, go-karts, motorcycles, and race cars. Boats, airplanes, skis, skates, bicycles, and rent-a-cars …

“It’s better to just let the chicken do it’s job, and then bring the egg inside and cook it.”

Andrew Bernhardt, 23-year-old guitarist of OB band Cape May, will be featured on an episode of MTV's Room Raiders. Bernhardt was selected for the program after Dusty Paul, Cape May's drummer, submitted an application at …

"We started two years ago as a tiny little thing with, like, four bands. We drew about 20 people." Gage Herrmann, 19, plays in Ramona indie-rock band Ersatz Dime. His band organized the 2003 and …

"You hope you'd have a little indemnity. You give so much to the public in one night for just $50." Josh Steely, singer/songwriter of local band Sandjackets, learned the hard way that thieves don't care …

Movies reviewed this week: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Cronicas, Happy Endings, Hustle and Flow, The Island, and Wedding Crashers

The faded name on the sign at the front of the strip mall says Aswan, but the restaurant's door says Monroe's. Under either name, Monroe's Café serves foods from Louisiana, Jamaica, and East Africa. If …

"We could have played China. Danny gets calls to play gigs all the time. But he's so humble. He won't take advantage of the situation." Trevor Christ, an ex-pro surfer, plays bass in two bands …

When Eminem plays Coors Amphitheatre tomorrow, Friday, July 22, he wants his dressing room stocked with a half case of Heineken, six cans of V-8 juice, 12 cans of Myoplex Low Carb Drink ("assorted flavors"), …

“Get that wrong and you could land your people in big trouble.”

Heymatt: I was recently given some lovely lace handkerchiefs from my grandmother. Several of them have a gold sticker on them that proclaims "Genuine Irish Lace Made In China." How can it be "Genuine Irish …

June was nirvana for both lovers and haters of securities-fraud attorney Bill Lerach. Admirers exulted that super-banks J.P. Morgan and Citigroup agreed to shell out a combined $4.2 billion for their roles in the Enron …

It's clear that Catarino Valdéz, chief of the Tijuana Police Department's newly formed mounted police, is a bigwig by the way he arrives at the stables: in an off-road pickup driven by a bodyguard, while …

Our fair city does have one black jaguar resident, downtown, in Cat Canyon, near Sun Bear Forest, across from the Hunte Amphitheater, in the San Diego Zoo. He was born October 1992 at Wildlife World Zoo, in Litchfield, Arizona. He weighs as much as I do, about 165 pounds. His name is Orson.

Godzilla and his Monster Island cohorts invade San Diego every summer as part of the International Comic-Con. Dealers sell Japanese toy creatures based on movie characters and television shows like Ultraman. Some of the vinyl …

Thirty Years Ago Several years ago when asked what he thought about rock music, Marxist philosopher Herbert Marcuse replied, "it's impotent violence." At the time I had no idea what he was talking about and …

“It’s all about lifting the spirits up.”

Parisian Shower? I am watching a program showcasing movies that will premier in France this week. There's one called La Moustache that seems particularly interesting. From what I gather, a man shaves his mustache, then …

Michael Emerson, the optician at Hart Optical, rides a big Suzuki. He tells me, “It’s a Cavalcade 1400 cc. Suzuki gave up on them in ’88 and built the last generation in ’89 from parts …

All is not lost that is delayed. -- French Proverb After a long sprint, he arrived at the door as the gatekeeper closed it. Words were exchanged. His expression was one of disbelief. How could …

If this was on television, the scene would show me sitting across from a girl. When she talks you can see her mouth move, but only hear The Dukes of Hazzard theme playing from the …

“A child who had just gotten to Jonestown, writing back to a friend, ended his letter with a request: ‘Please send me gum.’”

The daily splashing in the pool at our household is a sure sign that we're in the heat of high summer. The pool keeps the kids cool and happy, and happy kids make for a …

I was invited to a July 3rd party at Baleen, a restaurant at Paradise Point. There was a fireworks display over the bay as we dined on the patio.Chris, a movie producer, came down from …

The phone rings, I pick up and hear, "Feel like dinner? I'm in town." This is the familiar voice of Michael Bogey, travel junkie and adrenaline addict. Bogey likes fast. He's raced motorcycles in Africa, …

"The rather sad news to report is that Hot Snakes will be packing it in after our current tour plans," according to a handwritten message posted July 1 by John Reis on swamirecords.com. "It was …

While San Diego County Fair officials tried to prevent off-duty cops from showing up with concealed guns, promoter Willie Carter hired at least one pistol-packing guard for an all-age show at the El Cajon Masonic …

Revolutionary Comics, founded in San Diego by Todd Loren in 1989, published about 300 unauthorized rock-and-roll comic books based on Elvis, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, and others. Some of the artists portrayed -- such as …

Anyone ever tell you that you look like Courtney Love? You could cash in at this weekend's San Diego Comic-Con International, where they're holding a Courtney Love lookalike contest. Actually, it's for the character she …

The Donnas played at SDSU's Back Door on June 26. Tickets cost $1395 a person (and included a week-long camp for kids 12--17). Bryan Joseph, founder and executive director of Power Chord Academy, said, "I …

"We Get 'er Done," says singer/guitarist Paul Shaffer of Private Domain. Shaffer and guitarist Jack Butler have played together locally for 27 years (first as Bratz). The two have outlasted every other band and most …

When Ja Rule plays House of Blues on Sunday, July 17, "a police escort must be arranged in advance in order to facilitate the artist vehicle arrival to and departure from the venue." Rule expects …

“What makes it work is the whole thing; you have to look at it holistically.”

Movies reviewed this week: Dark Water, Me and You and Everyone We Know, and War of the Worlds

Mayoral candidate Steve Francis wants to introduce business techniques to city government. Uh-oh. That may mean hocus-pocus -- financial engineering. Since going public in 2001, the company Francis cofounded, San Diego-based AMN Healthcare Services, has …

Staffers loyal to former San Diego Unified superintendent Alan Bersin are quickly following him out the door. District flack Peri Lynn Turnbull is heading over to the Red Cross to work for Veronica "Ronne" Froman, …

"People are Karma-producing machines. That is all we do and all we have ever been doing," said Jeff Goin, a resident teacher at Vajrarupini Buddhist Center. Karma is the belief that for every action there …

The Jerry Sanders campaign website currently touts a favorable poll conducted by national pollster Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin and Associates. A link on the site says that the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation "released" the …

The Linkery "We don't take reservations, we're just a neighborhood bistro," said the voice on the telephone. "But if you tell us how many there are in your party, we'll make sure we have a …

“Order the 99... it was made in heaven.”

AIRPORT Drive the 5 from downtown and — boom! — just overhead, an aircraft with a bloated belly screams. Wheels down, tilting for landing, 50 yards between plane and road. Or how about having to …

“When I was depressed, I would listen to her.”

'Drains are great if you're draining a pond, but if you're setting up an ecosystem you need rocks at the bottom," says Cindy Collins, owner of Aqua Designs. "If you do it correctly, it looks …

Thirty Years Ago Not that I'm putting Las Vegas down. Anyone is entitled to a descent into a neoned hell where women dressed in mink coats sit in air-conditioned Cadillacs counting nickels held in Dixie …

Preverbal and Illiterate My father is French, but I was raised American (in Florida) to the extent that my half-Frenchness always felt like trivia, not identity. I moved to Paris about 18 months ago, and …

In the investigation of a neurotic style of life, we must always suspect an opponent, and note who suffers most because of the patient's condition. Usually this is a member of the family. -- Alfred …

Teeth grind when you're addicted. Every second of the day. While you sleep. While you shower. You never eat when you're addicted. If you did eat, your teeth and dry mouth would grind everything into …

“Look at the bars. They close at 2:00 a.m.! We like to party all night.”

Mount Lowe is only one of many named summits in the so-called Front Range of the San Gabriel Mountains overlooking Pasadena and the rest of the vast Los Angeles metropolitan region. Its strategic location, affording …

Harry N. Abrams, 2005; 160 pages; $32.50 FROM THE DUST JACKET: From legendary jewelers such as Tiffany and Cartier to out-of-the-way flea markets, from chic design houses like Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel to tiny …

I mentioned that songwriters make big bucks if a song of theirs is covered, I asked if that made him a millionaire. He laughed and said, "I'm not a millionaire. Not even close. I still have a day job."

'I know a gold-digger when I see one," huffed my Aunt Azelda. "And I'm not about to let her bluff her way through me to Frankie. I'm going to do some digging of my own, …

When Bo Diddley played the Belly Up Tavern on June 23, everyone was allowed backstage after the show (two at a time). One guy wouldn't stop talking to Diddley; we all waited 30 minutes for …

Screaming middle-aged women showed up to see Donny Osmond at the Barnes & Noble in Mira Mesa on June 22. He emerged from the bathroom and began signing his new CD. Females grabbed at him …

Pacific Beach business owner Kevin Frank says the PB Block Party has gotten out of hand. As the owner of New Seed Nutrition on Garnet Avenue, Frank concludes that this year's attempt to bring in …

"I actually have a mafioso in my neighborhood," says electronica artist El Poeta (Angelo Gastelum). Last month, the techno-savvy laptop whiz went freelance as a Web designer so he could concentrate on music. He and …

Overheard June 11 at the after-party for Music Midtown in Atlanta (similar to Street Scene): Louis XIV guitarist Brian Karscig saying, "Jimmy [Armbrust, bassist] got the crabs during this tour. It wasn't what you think, …

After Switchfoot played the Sphere in Buffalo, New York, on June 25, the Buffalo News reported, "Switchfoot look as comfortable in front of an audience as they would be in one. Sometimes too comfortable -- …

Thirty-eight years ago tomorrow, in 1967, Jim Morrison -- once a student at Clairemont's Longfellow Elementary School -- appeared with the Doors at Balboa Stadium. It was the band's first appearance in Morrison's former hometown. …

I didn't know how fond I was of Parisian-style neighborhood bistros until I found myself living without one. A bistro is a place to enjoy a good quick (or slow) lunch, to depressurize after work …

This is the last year Americans will follow the Tour de France. Little children will torment their pets, master their first video game, log 26,000 hours in front of the family television set, and borrow …

“Electricity, stainless steel, yeasts — we didn’t even know yeasts were involved until 1857.”

The movie at two hours was already a bit short on action and long on character.

The 1999 World Trade Organization riots occurred on Norm Stamper's watch as chief of police in Seattle (he retired in 2000). But the homicide he writes "I committed" was the most traumatic event in his …

Gulp. Glacier-brand water, which you can get from supermarket vending machines all over the county, should be safe to drink. But I can't say it's safe to invest in the stock of the parent company, …

Word that ailing actor and favorite son Cliff Robertson has finally unloaded his historic La Jolla beachfront mansion is causing a minor stir among the city's upper crust. Originally listed for $25 million back in …

Heymatt: If an American on vacation in another country gives birth, is the kid automatically a US citizen? Is the kid also a citizen of the birth country? Also, will the newborn require a passport …

Dear Mr. Alice: We just came back from a very green vacation. Tramped through woods and fields and we all got poison ivy and were pretty miserable. But we also saw lots of animals around …

Rabbi Jeff Lipschultz, a barrel-chested man, welcomed the congregants by name as they walked in for Shabbat Service at Temple Beth Sholom. A conversation began about the possibility of new chairs for the temple. Lipschultz …