I stay in open hallways where I can see Rocketboy coming. I hear a single footstep, so I dart off in the other direction. He lands a perfect grenade right at my feet and blasts …

"Join the revolution!" says “Big Kahuna” from his post in front of Target on Auto Park Way. "Legalize marijuana!" Kahuna (who says he was born in Hawaii) has gathered signatures at Target, Walmart, and grocery …

What? Never heard of Capitola? If you haven’t yet ventured that far north, you’re missing one of the Bay Area’s well-kept secrets. A quaint, colorful village, Capitola-by-the-Sea, ten minutes south of Santa Cruz, is slightly …

Tristan Prettyman brought her brand of country-surf-folk-pop to the Belly Up Monday night. Not normally a show I'd hit up on a Monday, but I bought the tickets for my girlfriend the day they went …

The lineup for Wrex the Halls 2009 provided something for everyone in attendance at Viejas Arena. Festivities began with a great set by local act and battle of the bands winner Chasing Claymore. Followed by …

“The African American Musicians Heritage Foundation was formed to recognize the life and legacy of local African-American jazz musicians,” says Hollis Hassell. “It’s a part of the dynamic ministry,” he says, “of the Church of …

When Genghis Con-Job singer-songwriter Frank Drank filmed his part as a Viking in a Capital One commercial, he had to show up an hour early. “Visigoths don’t have tattoos,” says the 6’4”, 290-pound tough guy …

Upper Las Virgenes Canyon, near Calabasas at the edge of the San Fernando Valley, is one of those places where you can make the sight and sound of a huge metropolitan area simply disappear after …

In my line of work, I see a lot of stained-glass windows depicting either scenes from the life of Christ or various Christian symbols. But until I ventured into the gothic wooden grandeur of First …

The letter read, “You’re on your own.” It was typewritten on blank white paper and undated. The missive was from my magazine editor. She explained that if something happened to me the magazine was not …

Barbecue. It’s the only cooking smell that actually wafts through the air like a well-flung fishing line, grabs you, and hauls you in by the nostrils. I mean, there I was at sunset, hoofing it …

Oh, boy, has Paris Hilton ever left the building! Khloe Kardashian (as they say in N’awlins, “Who dat?”) may or may not show up at the Ivy Hotel’s nightclub, Envy, but Quarter Kitchen’s celeb hangout …

THE FAKE MEMOby Josh Board, Rancho PeñasquitosI used to work on a morning show for Magic 102, a former classic rock station here in San Diego. I usually got to work before the other DJs, …

Producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker, with their project Zero 7, have long been leaders in the field sometimes called downtempo music. The genre mixes the electronic and the organic, the modern and the retro, …

In 2002, someone planted some homemade bombs — dry-ice sealed in plastic jugs — at the apartment of Unwritten Law guitarist Steve Morris. MTV’s website said that the bombing was the result of a feud …

Some enterprises signal what’s going on inside by hanging a red light outside. Mayor Jerry Sanders has revealed what’s going on inside his administration by setting up a group of committees to carry out his …

Experimental electric-soul songsmiths Children of Nova came together in summer 2007, featuring members of Atlas of Id and Temperature Delete. After releasing a three-song EP, they bought a van and spent much of 2008 touring …

“What if we skipped Christmas cards this year?” I asked my husband Patrick. “What if we just told the kids Santa had swine flu this year?” he replied. “You’re just stressed. Let’s take care of …

If you wish to converse with me, define your terms. — Voltaire "We could have watched a movie in the time it’s taken you to pick one,” I said, failing in my attempt to make …

I found out from a friend with a six-year-old son that one of his playmates has a mom who throws elaborate Christmas parties. I drove up to Kimberley’s condo in Peñasquitos, and from there we …

So Many Questions Re “Gompers Takes a Bow” (Cover Story, December 10). Excellent article. As a person who attended Gompers in the seventh grade, I understand the landscape in which these kids must survive. I …

The reviewer of Avatar seems honor-bound to declare which Avatar he is reviewing. Me? 2-D, no. 3-D, yes. IMAX, no. I’m in no position to gauge the differences. Viewers who opt for 2-D, and for …

Ex–Democratic assemblyman turned insurance industry lobbyist Juan Vargas quietly kicked off his bid to replace termed-out incumbent state senator Denise Ducheny last week by personally making a $100,000 loan to his own campaign fund, state …

With the holidays approaching, what better way to get into the spirit of the season than with a free trip to Tel Aviv? Democratic congresswoman Susan Davis embarked on a three-day tour of Israel, from …

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s got the biggest California state pension of them all? In San Diego County, apparently it’s El Cajon’s William Garrett, at $254,745.72 a year, or $21,228.81 a month, according to …

Conductor Robert Zelickman hopped on the podium and performed an impromptu jig — or was it the twist? With that, he fiddled with the microphone and announced the night’s first selection, “Suite of Seven Dances” …

In late 2007, when local shark researcher Michael Domeier teamed up with a television crew and National Geographic to tag great white sharks off Guadalupe Island, Patric Douglas took an interest. Douglas runs a cage-diving …

Thirty Years AgoMost Philosophical Opening Sentence: “The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it.” V.S. Naipaul has emerged this year as the …

Artist: Behind the WagonSong: “Have Some Fun Tonight” (from the CD 11 Songs by…)Heard by: Beth Borwell, Austin, TXI thought it was a little cheesy. They sound like a random 1990s band that made it …

Guitarist-vocalist Adam Gimbel has been performing under the name Cover Me Badd since 1995 and uses the name as an umbrella “brand” for his tributes to pop groups Depeche Mode, Oasis, and Weezer, along with …

The Rite Aid pharmacy located at 535 Robinson in Hillcrest was robbed early on December 15 by a man with a knife demanding narcotics. San Diego police responded to the pharmacy after a robbery was …

At about 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, a driver speeding down Sixth Avenue lost control of his car after taking a sharp turn onto Palm Street. The errant driver’s car hit and smashed a …

On December 4, 1959, at about noon, an F3H Demon piloted by Ensign Albert Joseph Hickman, 21, crashed into a Clairemont canyon. The pilot deliberately stayed with the aircraft to avoid crashing into Hawthorne Elementary …