After the earthquake in Samoa on Tuesday, September 29, the Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, at 7:24 p.m., issued its sixth update for the California and Oregon coast. The advisory specific for the Southern …

At 7:51 a.m. Monday, September 28, SDSU police were contacted by an individual who claimed that he was losing a lot of blood from a suicide attempt. The subject — described by police reports as …

Thirty Years AgoTHREE CLOSE MALE friends of mine and I were sitting around my living room the other day when someone picked up the Reader and began reading aloud some of the matchmaking ads in …

Stefan TanakaProfessor of history, UCSD Even though Halloween has little connection to Japan, the ghosts and witches that I associate with Halloween are also a rich part of its lore. Two recent DVDs explore this. …

Miike Snow appeared earlier this year as a near-anonymous trio of Swedes with a name that looks like a typo and a logo that looks like a jackalope. But despite the humility, the three multi-instrumentalist …

The Rolling Stones, who have not recorded anything of consequence for 20 years, have become a road show with their best songs behind them. No matter how large an arena spectacle, musically the Stones are …

Formed in 2003, Roxy Monoxide launch their album Another Day, Another Episode on Friday, October 9, with a release party at Tio Leo’s in Linda Vista. “We’ll definitely be throwing a few surprises in there …

It’s Saturday morning, August 29. A crowd has gathered at Crawford High School’s football stadium for the San Diego Youth Football League’s season opener. On the field, the Olympian Saints from eastern Chula Vista take …

Definitely Not Boring I just wanted to pay a compliment to Siobhan Braun, the woman who wrote San Diego Became a Beautiful Blonde (Cover Story, September 24). I read quite a few of your feature …

I was leaving California, and NOT looking back. Yet, every mile, my eyes returned to the rearview mirror. This was not out of some feeling of nostalgia — it was out of fear. Was he …

Hey, Mr. Sumption! Greetings from October 2009. You stamped this piece of sidewalk with your moniker a century ago, almost. “H.W. Sumption, October 1910.” And this huge tree. A Moreton Bay fig, the plaque says, …

Tough acts to follow. Welk Resorts Theatre begins The Andrews Brothers with video clips from the old USO Command Performance radio shows. Bob Hope jokes with Lana Turner. Young-ish Judy Garland sings an “Over the …

Here is a tale told to me on a Friday night, one that may sound like so much ramadoola (an old hepcat word I miss) or worse. I cannot prove a word of it, but …

Reading classified ads in the sporting-goods section is like walking through a toxic dump of hope. Every ad is a dream abandoned. Follows are three stories from people who placed ads on sandiego.backpage.com or classifiedads.com. …

A couple of weeks ago, I learned about the way that Plymouth Congregational Church in North Park has reinvented itself to fit with the changing character of the neighborhood. One way is by hosting other …

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses a broad range of parks and publicly owned open space areas, ranging from 10,000-acre-plus state parks to tiny parcels situated to protect unusual natural habitat, or to …

For five years, Joanie Mendenhall and Angela Correa have written songs together — a strange composition, considering Mendenhall is a classically trained pianist living in San Diego while Correa is a self-taught singer-songwriter living in …

High-end music photography shop Morrison Hotel Gallery shuttered its five-year-old La Jolla location at the end of August, shifting its business to a storefront at Flower Hill Promenade in Del Mar. Though both galleries ran …

Thirty-nine years ago this week, on October 4, 1970, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention played the Peterson Gym at SDSU. The newly formed Mothers featured former Turtles singers Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, …

You probably knew Sam Hinton’s voice without knowing his name. Our grade-school teachers played his records. Hinton was the jocular guy avowing, “Whoever shall have some good peanuts and giveth his neighbor none/ Then he …

As first reported here in January 2008, Kimberly Hale works for the lobbying shop of Public Policy Strategies, owned by Tom Shepard, a key political advisor to San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders. At that time, …

When millionaire GOP congressman Darrell Issa made his latest semiregular appearance on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher in August, the show forked over $600 for a round-trip limo ride to and from CBS Television …

An out-of-control aerial drone made by San Diego’s own General Atomics had to be shot out of the sky by the United States Air Force over northern Afghanistan on September 13. According to various industry …

Recipe by David Warner, executive chef, JRDN Restaurant I always wanted to be a rock star. Cooking was the last thing on my list. As a kid, I couldn’t cook. I would burn water. But …

Little Feat plays the Belly Up Tavern on October 6. When I grew up in northern Virginia during the ’70s, I thought that Little Feat were a local D.C. band. In a way, I guess …

Matt: My solar-powered calculator. How long will it last? Is it a perpetual-motion machine that will go on calculating into the next millennium? Does it have any parts that will die off like any ordinary …

When radio station KPRI announced a Van Morrison concert in L.A. that they’d be taking listeners to, I talked my way into joining afternoon DJ Oz in the limo to the show. We picked up …

Remember when I helped my nephew Freddy find a résumé service? Now, he’s getting called for interviews but still not landing the job. “Help me, Aunt Eve,” he entreated. “I need something more — some …

Barrio Logan?” says Dave. “I tell you, soon there won’t be a Barrio Logan. It’ll be swallowed up by downtown.”Dave and Tennessee and I stand in the dark on National Avenue, by 16th Street, right where …

Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing. — Oliver Wendell Holmes ‘Here I was, sitting outside in the car, trying to not be obnoxiously early, and …

Few could accuse San Diego metal-core stalwarts Mower of playing it safe. Half of their latest album, Make It a Double, is performed as Slower, the group's lounge-inspired alter-ego. "Road Rage" -- a punishing blast …

Friday night, September 22, Old Crow Medicine Show took the stage at 4th & B with a driving set of bluegrass, folk, and rock. I first saw these guys in Nashville in 1999, transitioning, at …

An Amtrak passenger train operating from San Diego to Los Angeles Sunday night, September 27, experienced a delay near Sorrento Valley that may have been due to an engine fire. At about 8:45 p.m., a …

A patient who reportedly escaped from a nearby psychiatric facility was successfully apprehended by San Diego police officers late Sunday night, September 27. Police dispatchers first reported that the patient was sighted on the 4000 …

On Friday, September 25, the San Diego Police Department conducted a curfew sweep in the Mid-City area. Forty-three juveniles under the age of 18 who violated the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew were picked …

I first met Australia in her city of Sydney. The date was January 26th, and could have been any other day. But I quickly learned of my erroneous judgment — it being Australia’s Independence Day. …

Shoulder to shoulder, hour after hour, you stand amongst thousands, waiting. Weeklong celebrations are at their medieval historic peak. The horses approach the starting line: a deafening roar from the crowd. The honor belongs to …

An ancient Mayan civilization inhabited Tikal around 800 B.C., flourishing for over a century amid the subtropical rainforest of El Petén, Guatemala. Their extinction became legendary – a Lost City until the mid-19th century, when …

I moved to Thailand straight after college graduation with my philosopher boyfriend and our $100,000 degrees to do something different. We knew nothing about the country except what our Lonely Planet guidebooks told us on …

Dog Beach was crowded with beachgoers and their dogs playing in the hazy afternoon sun on Saturday, September 26. Just a couple days earlier, signs warning of sewage contamination in the water flanked the popular …

Time with good friends is something that nurtures even the most stressed-out overachiever. Especially when that time is spent in the Bay Area on a sun-filled Sunday. Recently, I met with two friends in San …

After visiting family, my daughter and I decided to take the Old Highway 1 that runs along the coast from the Bay Area south to L.A. It takes you along the edges of cliffs, twisting …

The national parks have been described by Ken Burns as America’s best idea. I doubt that many visitors to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park would argue with that. I journeyed there in late …

If you’re a seeker of sacred sites and find yourself in the Greek Islands, hop a ferry from Samos to Kuşadası (or fly from Samos into Adnan Menderes Airport), then grab a bus to Ephesus, …

Jessie Taylor and the Riffs Video

With lyrics like "forget about your boyfriend and meet me at the hotel room," from his hit single "Hotel Room Service," hip-hop hottie Pitbull's September 19 concert at Harrah's Rincon drew a predominantly female crowd. …

First thought on this latest from Why? How the hell did they clone They Might Be Giants? No, wait, I don't believe in human cloning. Okay, how did they get They Might Be Giants to …

Late Thursday night on September 24 at approximately 11 p.m., two pedestrians — a man and a woman — were walking on Pershing Drive near Upas Street in North Park when two men armed with …

At 2:15 Saturday morning, September 26, the 905 freeway was temporarily closed at the eastbound transition with Interstate 805 south after a horse was discovered walking west in the eastbound lanes. Zero visibility due to …

Two young women riding a new Kawasaki motorcycle and a woman driving a Toyota Camry were involved in a traffic accident in the 1300 block of 13th Street on Thursday evening, September 24. The Camry …

Unforeseen Benefit of keeping up this Blog: It is hot outside and I am inside where it is (slightly) cooler. Since I am producing something--instead of the pre-blog days of just looking at craigslist for …

“I was taking a little siesta,” said a man lying on the grass in Balboa Park, observing an unfolding crime scene on September 25. Just down the hill, a section of north Balboa Park had …

In Imperial Beach Thursday morning, September 24, a fire at 1325 Grove Avenue destroyed two apartment units and displaced six adults and three children. Fire engines from Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, and San Diego …

Those who like to use pesos in lieu of dollars when you visit Mexico will be interested to learn of the new, albeit temporary, look of the popular 100- and 200-peso notes. According to the …

North County Transit District in Oceanside, the operator of the Breeze bus service and the Coaster and Sprinter commuter-train service, recently cut back on security personnel at most of the transit centers they serve. Since …

Like most middle-class American newlyweds, we spent our first year in a cozy two-bedroom apartment that quickly grew too small for both of us. Around the turn of the millennium, my wife and I entertained …

Kurt Vile wants you to believe that's his real name, and it certainly provides a hook to hang the heavy hype this disc, his first for Matador, gets. Confidentially, though, a guy writing lines like …

San Diego parents of high school students began receiving mailings from Arlington, Texas-based “College Admissions Assistance” in recent weeks and, judging by the letter’s formal appearance, could have been mistaken in believing the mail was …

Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, is full of traveler do’s (and a few don’ts). For instance, DO know that Ho Chi Minh City was called Saigon until it was renamed in 1975. DON’T …

I always pictured myself in California. After my boyfriend Aaron received job offers in Oklahoma City, Topeka, and San Diego, we decided we would head to the land of fruits and nuts. Within a few …

A 48-year-old American living in TJ for 12 years was viciously mugged Monday, September 21, while riding his bicycle to the San Ysidro border crossing in the early-morning hours. As he sped along the pedestrian …

At last week’s Pacific Beach Town Council meeting, Lou Cumming, member of the PB Town Council and sub-committee chair of their Safe & Beautiful Committee, addressed the crowd and spoke about his efforts in keeping …

Honest Iago’s album-release party for Straight on ’Til Morning happens Thursday, September 24, at Dream Street. “People can expect a lot of instrument switching with horns and electronics and such,” says singer-guitarist Nick Norton, who …

Burning of Rome used five impaled pig heads as props during their set at the 2009 San Diego Music Awards. “It’s pretty creepy,” says a fellow performer and one of the night’s award-winners. “I don’t …

Zack Wentz, primarily a drummer and vocalist, is somewhat of a minimalist with regard to band lineups — Kill Me Tomorrow is a three-man act, and the offshoot, Tender Buttons, was one person on keyboards …

I went to a pool party in San Marcos in August that began with a morning visit to a Stone Brewing Company beerfest. I showed up after everyone had made it back to Heidi’s house. …

Housework, if it is done right, can kill you. — John Skow David emitted a little grunt each time he advanced, making it only a few inches at a time as he faced the wall …

Hey, Matt: Why does all seafood smell the same, even though it comes from such different kinds of animals (mollusks, arthropods, vertebrates)? Okay, so maybe it doesn’t all smell exactly the same, but similar. The …

One of the greatest casualties of the First World War was information. A devastating H1N1 influenza virus broke out early in 1918. Even though it originated, some now speculate, in Haskell County, Kansas, the virus …

Don’t cry for Laurel. It has gone to a far better place. Reincarnated as Cucina Urbana, you can now hang your hat (on the back of your chair) without a preprandial wardrobe change or bank-balance …

“I starred in Star Trek. You don’t recognize me?” Bill looks at our blank faces. We don’t recognize him. “Okay, so not exactly a starring role. I’m the guy in the gray jumpsuit with a …

The late Herb Gardner (he died in 2003) hand-wrote his plays on a Central Park bench. One day, the author of A Thousand Clowns watched two old men nearby, one black, one white. They would …

The Box has taken the pledge to stop writing Chargers Suck columns, and I think a fair-minded person would have to say I’ve held up my end of the deal. That’s not easy when Norv …

“I didn’t stay for 30 years,” says pastor Felix Villanueva of his career as a Navy chaplain. “I only stayed for 21.” Because of Iraq. “That conflict was what prompted me to retire. I was …

What are you reading? Megan: “This summer, I’ve been reading a lot of chick-lit — books about girls and their adventures with their careers and with men. I’d been reading more serious stuff for school, …

The guys in new-wave band Lights On are working hard to turn fans on to their retro British synth-pop sound. Lucky for them, the licensing company they hired last year is just as diligent. In …

“San Diego will always have a special place in my heart as the place I began my career in rock ’n’ roll,” expressed the late author Jim Carroll 20 years ago. It was in an …

Artist: Civil UnrestSong: “Delusion of Truth” (from the CD Ravaging the Purity)Heard by: Mike Adams, South BayIt’s pretty good; I’d like to hear more of them. It’s close to generic metal, but it’s better than …

Thirty Years AgoThis is the way Ted Uhler commutes from his Spring Valley home to his job downtown: Uhler sets his alarm for 5:30 a.m. and hustles to get out his door by no later …

Om is a metal band — sort of. I should just get that out of the way first, because otherwise the following is going to seem misleading. Okay, here goes: Om’s new album is called …

Too bad for San Francisco’s Dodos — some critics were not happy with the changes that producer Phil Ek brought to their sound on Time to Die. They whined that Ek cleaned up the rough …

A subsidiary of a company run by an Aleut shareholder-owned Alaska Native village corporation based on remote Saint Paul Island in the Bering Sea, 800 miles west-southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, is being sued by U.S. …

When longtime Union-Tribune senior editor Lorie Hearn departed the paper this summer to set up the nonprofit Watchdog Institute for investigative reporting, the project was billed as a way of saving local journalism “in an …

Who Were They? Re “But After All, He Was a Man” (“City Lights,” September 17). I have been reading the Reader on and off for well over 20 years, and this is the first time …

In San Diego, those who do good do not do well — from an income standpoint, that is. The professions devoted to helping people down on their luck, such as social work, are not at …

"This story isn’t about me!” Richard Eckfield, who’s been on a three-year crusade to get a train stop built at the Del Mar Racetrack, is adamant. “It’s a much larger issue.” But Eckfield’s relentless dedication, …

Tijuana merchants and shopkeepers along the formerly well-trodden route between the San Ysidro border crossing and the main drag, Revolución, are calling on local authorities to rid the area of freelance purveyors of tacos, pancakes, …

Last Tuesday was to be an excursion with a purpose, although I immediately began to question my own good judgement before I arrived at my first stop, and I considered the years and years of …

Last week, the San Diego Police Department warned residents about a male burglar who gained entry into a home in the Rolando neighborhood to steal from an elderly female homeowner. On September 15, a victim …

Literally translating to “Eastern Capital,” Tokyo, Japan, is one of the three world finance ”command centers” alongside New York and London. But unlike the others, Tokyo has a serene feeling of safety along with pristine …

If I’d been living in Fresno in the early 1900s, I’d have visited Baldasare Forestiere often, especially in August. To beat the scorching heat, this Sicilan immigrant spent nearly forty years creating an underground dwelling. …

Less than 15 miles from San Francisco is the beautiful Muir Woods National Monument. Walking among giant coast redwoods, you get a taste of what it must be like to be an ant crawling among …

Edinburgh, capital city of Scotland, proves that there is much more to Scottish culture than kilts, clans and haggis. In fact, Edinburgh hosts a trendsetting modern culture while still embracing its Caledonian roots. From swanky …

You remember her: that romance novelist in the classic film Romancing the Stone with Michael Douglas. Her sister had been kidnapped in Colombia and was awaiting rescue in Cartagena. Perhaps due to the real-life cocaine …

After more than 30 years, the Mexicoach shuttle bus to and from downtown Tijuana to San Ysidro is threatening to end service to the international border because Yellow Cab drivers in Tijuana are allegedly vandalizing …

Time to Die, the Dodo's third full-length record and follow-up to 2008's acclaimed Visiter, arrives with high expectations and delivers with a fuller sound due to the addition of multi-instrumentalist Keaton Snyder. Opening track "Small …

On Friday afternoon, September 18, police responded to reports of a vicious dog running loose and biting someone in Pacific Beach. When police arrived at the parking lot on the corner of Ingraham and Garnet …

“The loss of employment in the United States and the impossibility of paying rents over a thousand dollars a month has prompted many families to change their residence to Tijuana, where they can pay rents …

Police are investigating what they believe to be a gang-related stabbing that occurred behind an apartment complex on Camino Ruiz in Mira Mesa on Friday, September 18. According to police radio traffic, just before 10:30 …

At least six clubs have shuttered their doors in recent months because of Tijuana’s waning tourism business. But, according to daily newspaper El Sol de Tijuana, those bars haven’t stopped doing business. Jack Doron, president …

At about 4:15 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a boat off the coast of Imperial Beach carrying ten duffel bags stuffed with marijuana. According to Customs spokesperson Jackie Dizdull, …

Jay Reatard's got one of the stupidest handles in what we call pop. Of course, he also has one of the sharper minds in what we call pop. Singing, arranging, playing many instruments, the self-dubbed …

I had lawn seats for the Dave Matthews show at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre on Saturday, September 12, and got there just after opening act Switchfoot ended, about 15 minutes before DMB took the stage. …

On Wednesday, September 16, Stacey Fulhorst, executive director for the ethics commission, testified before San Diego's Open Government and Rules Committee and requested authority to issue subpoenas and to sanction officials that lie, mislead, and …

At noon on September 17, a customer attempted to purchase two packages of cigarettes at the Circle K store on Mast Boulevard. The customer's 50-dollar bill was tested for counterfeit three different ways by the …

The Greater Golden Hill Maintenance Assessment District's (MAD) oversight committee is getting a makeover. The Greater Golden Hill Community Development Corporation (GGHCDC) will replace 8 of the 12 members serving on the volunteer committee with …

A man was robbed near a store close to the Greyhound station on West Broadway prior to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15. The victim, a Chinese male who is not from the area, alleged …

After years of being closed to cars, Presidio Park's Inspiration Point access road began getting necessary repairs back in the spring. Work is projected to finish up this October. The road's two new retaining walls …

At dusk on Tuesday, September 15, Tijuana launched several celebrations to kick off Mexican independence day, which begins at midnight every September 16. The largest and most heavily attended of these celebrations was in front …

On a quest for a better alternative to fast food and gas station cafes, and armed with a curiosity for old California towns, I came across the small city of Avenal during a recent road …

The Taj Mahal is often regarded as the most beautiful building in the world. So, of course I watched in horror as my digital camera slipped from my grasp and fell to the hard pavement …

Once an exclusive getaway for America’s elite, Jekyll Island was purchased for public use in 1947 by the state of Georgia. Sixty-five percent of the island will never be developed. Jekyll is the smallest of …

Arches National Park rises out of the vast Utah desert almost without warning. Comprising 120 square miles of red sandstone cliffs, spires and canyons, the park feels like the ruins of an ancient city. Its …

Yo La Tengo's 12th album runs 72:49. The closing tracks ratchet up from 9:37 to 11:22 to 15:51, making up over half the record's run time. But Popular Songs isn't "Set The Controls for the …

Xavier Nuez photographs alleys. His candy-colored images of urban decay have been exhibited internationally, including here at the San Diego Art Institute, and featured on NPR. Ruin is his gig. “History,” Nuez says. “Rust, bent …

Hay-On-Wye, a small village in Wales, is an unlikely bibliophile’s paradise. Nestled along the river Wye just across the Welsh border from Herefordshire, England, Hay-On-Wye boasts nearly 40 secondhand bookstores. There are no Borders or …

According to police radio, San Diego police were dispatched to Polk Street and Marlborough Avenue at about 2:40 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16, in connection with a fight involving about 20 people. A police dispatcher …

"We don't want our young children to become addicted to alcohol; addiction to alcohol makes a person crazy," said an elderly female during the Tuesday, September 15, Carlsbad city council meeting. The statement came minutes …

Tijuana’s Caesar's Restaurant on Avenida Revolución, reputed to be the spot where Caesar salad was invented, has closed its doors after more than 80 years in business. The Tijuana daily Frontera reported that the restaurant …

"There will be no more predatory towing in the streets of San Diego," said district attorney Bonnie Dumanis at a news conference on August 21, 2006. Clark Waters shakes his head. He has now fired …

A man armed with a knife on the 3500 block of Ashford Street was reported via police radio on Sunday evening, September 13. A dispatcher said that a caller had contacted police because a man …

In the nineteenth century, men lost their fear of God and acquired a fear of microbes. — Author Unknown Swine flu is tearing my family apart. Okay, maybe not the flu itself so much as …

The world’s experts on all topics are huddling in Washington, D.C. One chap proclaims that he is the world’s ranking expert on goldfish. Inquires a layman, “Okay, how do you tell a male goldfish from …

I’m standing in front of a real human body at Body Worlds and The Brain — Our Three Pound Gem, currently on exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum. It’s a real human body, …

What I Say, What I Do Am I the only person who noticed the ironic hypocrisy in pedicab driver Guy Harinton’s xenophobic rants “Pedicab Wars,” (Cover Story, September 10)? He decries non-American college students who …

Thirty Years AgoFAMILY OF PSA air crash victim (Sept. ’78) would appreciate hearing from other such families. WAVE JUNKIE: A dozen years of surfing and swimming experience and a desire to meet you. I am …

“It’s just sitting there empty,” says local reggae radio personality Makeda “Dread” Cheatom of the 1800-capacity Tijuana venue named Iguanas. “We’re coming in to reclaim it.” Iguana’s will have its first headlining show in over …

The East West Quintet’s name says a lot, geographically speaking. If you pick up the jazz-rock combo’s ambitious second album (this year’s Vast), you will see a shout-out to their East Coast base on closing …

“We’re putting two and a half million dollars into the building,” says Ernie Hahn, general manager of the Sports Arena for the past 13 years. “It’s been a year since AEG Live became a majority-owner …

Members of North County bands Wanted Dead and Irieside have come together to form Sound System. Wanted Dead is a hardcore street-punk band known for their wild stage presence, anti-authority anthems, and raucous fans. Irieside …

“Swagger Street” by Mag Flux was the most-downloaded MP3 from SDReader.com during August. Below is an interview with Mag Flux’s M.Y.O. You mention in your song “Swagger Street” showing your listeners “how we do it …

With summer’s heat subsiding throughout San Diego’s backcountry region, now’s the time to think about fat-tire-biking adventures on the back roads of the Cleveland National Forest. One great option is a looping ride of 25 …

Wayne Riggs served as a Navy chaplain from 1957 to 1988. Two years later, he put his collar back on and took over at Plymouth Church. The sleek collection of buildings fronting University Avenue was …

This started out as a hula-hoop column. The primordial hula hoop was a dorky fad of the 1950s. I wondered if the beast still lived, and if so, who feeds it? Onto the internet and …

Do this on a Friday or Saturday night — almost any night, really. Impress your date, your friends, kids, mom or dad, freak out your dog; it will only cost what you want it to, …

“Russ?” “Yup.” “It’s me. I’m in El Cajon.” I’m calling on my first-ever cell phone. Hate the end of freedom. But now I need this thing. “That Dubai restaurant you were crazy about? It’s closed! …

Alchemy doesn’t turn lead into gold, but its kitchen does turn good ingredients into palate-pleasers. Open seven months and well populated since Day One, it was bound to be a hit, given all the starving …

She’d send, she proclaimed, “a message from above.” On Thursday, January 27, 1921, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson stood in the cockpit of a Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny.” Wearing a leather coat and cap, tinted goggles across …

Michael Bolton is following me. In perfect cadence, he belts “When a Man Loves a Woman,” down the boardwalk. Okay, so maybe he’s inside this 60-year-old’s iPod, rigged to the back of his bike cruiser …

My girlfriend told a coworker who was going out of town for two weeks that she’d watch her dog for her. As we were walking the woman’s yellow Lab through downtown streets, we noticed a …

I’m 38 years old now, and my mother has been after me to get a mammogram for three years. So, me being me, I started calling around and ended up speaking with Anita LaBreque, director …

Heymatt: Chollas Lake in College Grove has a radio tower that played a big role in WW2, or was the first radio tower of its kind in the U.S., or something fabulous. It’s still operational, …

Twenty-three years ago, the British music paper NME (New Musical Express) released C86 on cassette, featuring 22 songs by 22 new bands. Soon, music critics started using the term “C86” to describe other bands that …

What did the critics at Pitchfork.com hear when they vetted Why There Are Mountains, the debut album from New York’s Cymbals Eat Guitars? They heard the rumbling, screeching, and howling of an electric guitar (front …

The East West Quintet may be Brooklyn-based, but three of the band’s five members are from San Diego and migrated east, hence the band name. “My parents are both members of the San Diego Symphony,” …

San Diego police responded to a shooting at the Courtyard Marriott, located at 595 Hotel Circle South, on Saturday, September 12. At about 11:45 p.m., a police officer at the scene asked the dispatcher to …

Wine-flavored ice cream? It’s possible at Helados Miranda in Cafayate, Argentina (just off the main square). Since this was just one of many stops on the wine tasting tour, I opted for a double-scoop spacer: …

A man described as being 70 to 80 years old is suspected of robbing the La Jolla branch of San Diego National Bank on Saturday, September 12. Clad in a beige-and-black-checkered blazer and wearing a …

The Coronado Tunnel Commission met on September 10 to discuss the next step in their proposal to build a 1.4-mile underground tunnel that would redirect military traffic between the bay bridge and North Island naval …

Before the Frost, the Black Crowes latest release, was recorded live in drummer Levon Helm's home studio in Woodstock, NY. A few fans sat in on the session, providing applause between tracks. The vibe throughout …

Album number four finds Bert McCraken and the Used back with their patented hard, guitar-driven riffs and passionate, introspective lyrics. Though, with Artwork, the volatility of past albums has been replaced with a more structured …

The Blueprint 3 is Jay-Z's strongest album since 2003's Black Album. Many thought Jay had lost his edge, but one listen to this new batch of tracks dismisses that notion. It’s got to be difficult …

San Diego police searched the Santa Fe train depot for a missing person on Friday night, September 11. They were looking for an Orange County woman who had been reported missing earlier that day. Police …

At about 7:15 p.m., Wednesday, September 9, San Diego sheriff’s deputies, paramedics, and other emergency personnel responded to a 911 call about a person struck by a train two miles north of the Solana Beach …

San Diego police responded to a "hot-prowl" burglary call at the 700 block of Seagirt Court in Mission Beach at around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 10. According to the reporting party, an intruder entered …

This past Thursday, September 10, it was reported in Mexican newspapers that Eugene Mingus, son of seminal bass player and jazz composer Charles Mingus, was busted by Tijuana police for growing marijuana at his home …

Just before 12:30 p.m. on Friday, September 11, a security officer from the Fry’s Electronics store in Serra Mesa contacted police regarding three individuals who had been observed stealing merchandise. Police immediately responded to the …

Nearly 200 residents packed the Point Loma Library on the evening of September 9 to discuss a city-approved methane-gas-recycling project that has elicited concern, anger, and fear among those living in the coastal community. The …

Looking to patch the cracks in California's state budget, legislators look to take funds from cities redevelopment agencies as temporary filler. Statewide, more than $1.3 billion will be transferred from redevelopment accounts to state government …

A robbery occurred at Roberto’s Taco shop on the corner of Black Mountain Road and Mira Mesa Boulevard at around 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8. Two men reportedly went inside the store wearing white …

Past the Coachella Valley, where the desert floor pushes the mountains out of sight, my grandfather levitates above a steamy I-10, alternately stiff-arming the grill and checking the coolant level of my eastbound station wagon. …

What is known as the clonación of credit and debit cards is on the increase in Tijuana, according to law enforcement authorities. The term refers to the theft of data that occurs during the use …

A counselor from the 32nd Street Naval Base contacted the San Diego Police Department at about 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, regarding a “check on welfare call” in connection with a sailor who did …

The results have been tallied and the Chula Vista City Council has spoken -- through a two-paragraph press release dated September 9. The top three finalists to replace Councilmember John McCann during his yearlong deployment …

At 7:24 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8, police radio reported that a vehicle had struck a child on the 3300 block of Idlewild Way in a residential area of Clairemont. A two-year-old boy reportedly ran …

At approximately 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, a police helicopter and several police cars searched for a suspect in an unknown crime in the area of Broadway and Ninth and Tenth avenues. Over the …

According to Tijuana’s Frontera newspaper, a 27-year-old elementary school teacher who was teaching at a school in Las Playas contracted the swine flu virus on around August 25 and two weeks later died of complications. …

A trip to Norway is incomplete without getting out on the water to experience the fjords. The sea plays an essential role in the history of Norway, exemplified by some of its most notable museums: …

Our plane flew into Zacatecas in the midst of rainfall. The airport had one runway surrounded by red unpaved dirt, the smallest baggage claim I’d ever seen, and the most charming people I’d ever met. …

Known for its year-round festivals, Lake Charles is located in the heart of Cajun Country, a few miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. Amidst swamps, rivers, bayous and marshes, Lake Charles boasts a number …

Roll 'em! Straight-to-camera, Guy Harinton yells, “Why can’t I kill one of them little fuckers?!” He’s frothing. Here, at the Embarcadero’s Coronado ferry landing, a foreign-student pedicab driver has just ridden off with a load …

“I don’t feel I should have been nominated for the award,” says Jimmy Powers of his Best Hip-Hop nomination by tonight’s San Diego Music Awards at Viejas. “I’ve only released a limited-press EP.… I think …

Experts say the San Diego Chargers could make the Super Bowl this year. However, the team’s desire to build a new stadium in San Diego could be — well, economically inSuperable. The team now plays …

Helix High alumnus Jack Felson — a onetime San Diego politico with close ties to then–county supervisor Roger Hedgecock — has died at 71 at a cancer clinic in Bavaria, Germany. Beginning in the early …

Artist: CityzenSong: RestlessHeard by: Beau Goldner, North ParkI liked it right off the bat. It sounded pretty good. It kind of reminded me of an ’80s or early-’90s style of rock…maybe even like Danzig. I …

Thirty Years Ago[Susan] West won a smooch from Sea World’s celebrated cetacean last spring when she rode in an asthma benefit bikeathon and finished as a runner-up. She says she hoarded the prize for months. …

The pace holds steady…. The September Issue. R.J. Cutler’s documentary version of The Devil Wears Prada, a revealing inside look at the putting-together of the year’s fattest issue of Vogue, what turns out to be …

If given a chance for an alternate profession, Brenda Xu would work for Sesame Street, “writing skits for Bert and Ernie. Bert’s such a great ‘square’ character. I love his mundane sensibilities.” The San Diego …

A friend told me she likes Throw Me the Statue because they remind her of Guided by Voices. That’s kind of odd: TMTS is a one-man project partial to drum machines, synths, and hushed vocals; …

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Esperanza Spalding says she got the notion to make music her life’s work at the age of four. This, following a television episode of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood in which the …

Mark-Elliott Lugo, who is an energetic-looking 59 years old, might well be the poster child in the San Diego public transit system’s campaign to increase ridership. Lugo has been taking San Diego buses for over …

Correction Last week’s cover story, “Puppeteers,” stated that Steven Hadley was Valerie Stallings’s chief of staff and that he’d hired Michael Zucchet. According to Hadley, he was never Stallings’s chief of staff and he did …

The San Diego County Office of Education has come out the apparent winner in a lawsuit against Infinite Campus, an educational software outfit hired to produce a “student information system” that allegedly failed to deliver. …

A political committee controlled by San Diego city councilman Carl DeMaio has paid $8482 to a GOP consulting firm currently in the middle of a conflict-of-interest controversy regarding its ties to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last …

The Esperanza Spalding Quartet plays at Birch North Park Theatre on September 13. I wanted to hire this kid for a jazz festival in Indiana in the mid ’90s. The committee looked at me like …

Matt, please: The other night me and my friends were partying up pretty well, and my girlfriend got kind of hysterical laughing at something and after a while she was staggering around saying she couldn’t …

The tendency to whining and complaining may be taken as the surest sign of little souls and inferior intellects. — Lord Jeffrey I struggled to maintain a deadpan expression, using what was left of my …

The Kelly children are hooked on fishing. All it took was a morning with Dad at the Crystal Pier Kids’ Classic Fishing Derby. They returned home triumphant. One of the kids had placed fourth in …

Kid Smith was disgusted. For three rounds, the iron-jawed middleweight took the fight to Jimmy Meyers, but their bout ended in a draw. After a monster right almost cracked his ribs, Meyers steered clear, and …

Looking at the $20 menus for upcoming Restaurant Week, the sole temptation was Apollonia — but clicking to the website menu, I realized I wanted a whole lot more than $20 would buy. Here, finally, …

“Know why this area’s called the ‘Stingaree’?” asks Mark. We’re at the bottom of Eighth, right where it meets Market, inside this Asian bistro I just happened on called J. Wok. Mark Richmond’s an artist. …

‘He’s WHAT?” Word of mouth roared through the North Coast Repertory Theatre: “Burt Bacharach’s coming Friday night!” At first, Steve Gunderson went into deep Waiting for Guffman denial. Then the lifelong devotee of Bacharach’s music …

Gregory Page is back from Australia, where he toured on his own, then hooked up with Steve Poltz to re-form the Rugburns Down Under. Page being the rugburn — or “Sideburn,” as he termed it. …

The Chargers are playing at Oakland Monday night, on the B side of ESPN’s double-header. Normally, I don’t count watching a game that includes the Raiders as more interesting than watching termites colonize the back-porch …

Last week, I attended services at a church that broke away from the United Church of Christ in 1994. This week, without meaning to, I attended services at a church that broke away from the …

Charmlee Wilderness Park (a.k.a. Charmlee Natural Area), 590 acres of meadow, oak woodland, sage scrub, and chaparral, was first opened to the public in 1981 as a unit of the Los Angeles County park system. …

Before Kansas plays Valley View Casino on Saturday, September 12, they need an “articulate female volunteer for merchandise sales” who must be “available one hour prior to doors opening and to remain one hour after …

Lyrics from a 17-year-old song are costing Buju Banton gigs. The Jamaican dancehall singer had some of the dates on his 2006 U.S. tour canceled because his 1992 song “Boom Bye Bye” urges listeners to …

A guitar once owned by Jimi Hendrix is back on the market following years of legal dispute that ended recently with this terse statement: “Experience Hendrix LLC makes no claim of ownership concerning the Fender …

The Sword doesn't tinker with the formula they borrow from Black Sabbath, the formula first used to create their debut Age of Winters. Instead of trying to reinvent the metal wheel, the Austin-based quartet focus …

I saw AC/DC for the first time at the San Diego Sports Arena in the early '70s and many times since. As a seasoned fan, I wasn't sure what to expect at the arena Sunday …

On September 8, the city council met to discuss forming a medical marijuana task force. The task force would be responsible for hashing out details on ways the City should administer the drug to patients. …

At 9:33 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, San Diego police were dispatched to a call in the 1800 block of Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. The reporting party called 911 and said there was a fight …

Shortly before 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, September 8, shots rang out at the Imperial Sands Mobile Home Park, just east of Imperial Beach. Lupe F., who has lived in the park for 30 years, …

The gateway between Asia and Europe, Turkey is a cultural bridge between East and West. This transcontinental country has a dual cultural ambiance, and offers those who visit a chance to step into both Eastern …

One of Bolivia’s most popular tourist activities is mountain-biking “Death Road.” There are many tourist agencies that make this day tour from La Paz; they’ll charge you about $75 for bike, helmet, food and transport. …

San Diego police were dispatched to several locations downtown at around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, September 6. At 1:57 a.m., police responded to a report of a fight in the lobby of the Hard …

A man with lacerations on his face was seen hobbling around the 900 block of J Street at around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, September 4, in the East Village. Employees from a nearby business came …

Labor Day weekend saw the San Diego Symphony's Summer Pops concert series' finale under the energetic baton of Matthew Garbutt. The line up contained well-known favorites (Tchaikovsky's Slavic March and 1812 Overture) along with rarely …

Hundreds of kids had their parents in tow for an acoustic concert by Ziggy Marley, who was supporting his new children's album Family Time. Without pausing to address the sold out crowd, Marley took the …

Oceanside resident Woodrow Hidgon's three minutes of public testimony at the September 2 city council meeting ended with jeers from the audience: "Sit down!" were the shouts from inside city council chambers. "Okay, people, you …

At 5:46 p.m. on Saturday, September 5, the National Weather Service issued a severe weather warning for northeastern San Diego County, near Borrego Springs. On the Weather Channel, the news-crawl bulletin was repeated over and …

At approximately 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 5, a black compact car plowed through a hedge divider of the Vons shopping center parking lot on Arriba Street. The driver may have stepped on the accelerator …

Poseidon Resources plans to build the western hemisphere’s largest ocean-water desalinization plant in the western basin of Carlsbad’s Agua Hedionda Lagoon, home to a power plant, an aqua farm, and the Sea World research hatchery. …

A man was struck and seriously injured by a tour bus on the corner of Pacific Highway and Harbor Drive late Friday afternoon. The victim, whose identity could not be confirmed, was crossing Pacific Highway …

A 28-year-old male died by suicide early Wednesday morning, September 2, after hanging himself. At 1:10 a.m., San Diego Police responded to a residence on Florida Street between University and Lincoln avenues after a woman …

Parker & the Numberman video for "Freestyle" (live)

On September 2 — one week after Caltrans activated the meters on the Telegraph Canyon Road onramp to the 805 — they activated the meters on the Olympic Parkway onramp. Traffic congestion in and around …

Zion National Park doesn’t get its name from one of its Mormon settlers of the late 1850s, but rather from the Old Testament, which refers to Zion as “a place of refuge.” This Mormon community …

When we moved down here five years ago, there were tamale carts on every corner, tamale carts in every parking lot, tamale carts at the park, and tamale carts on the playing fields. Every market …

Whether or not it was Oceanside city councilmember Jerome Kern's intention to turn the December 8 recall election into a war against labor unions is speculation, but one thing is for sure -- that's what …

Visiting the Garden Song in Elkhorn, California, halfway between Monterey and Santa Cruz, is like meandering through a five-acre hidden treasure. Dahlias in every imaginable color burst forth like the grand finale of a Fourth …

At 6:20 p.m. on Tuesday, September 1, San Diego police responded to a 911 call about a shooting in Logan Heights. The reporting party told police dispatchers, “A person was sitting on the hood of …

When Jack White played Street Scene in 2006, it was in the un-rock 'n' roll setting of Qualcomm Stadium's parking lot. His Detroit duo White Stripes started 45 minutes late. Jack looked pissed and Meg …

American Saturday Night is filled with the wit and honesty that has made Brad Paisley one of the brightest stars in country music today. He is one of the few authentic artists in Nashville who …

Would you believe that Mexico City used to be an island in the middle of the vast Lake Texcoco? It was actually the Aztec people’s Venice-like capital city, with a network of canals and bridges. …

The tenth floor of San Diego city hall is like a submarine in the sky. Behind sealed windows and an electronic-buttoned security door are the cramped offices of eight councilmembers, who themselves are sardined in …

A less-than-successful effort of a Tijuana resident to remove a palm tree resulted in the local fire department’s required assistance in a neighborhood approximately 12 miles east of central Tijuana on the afternoon of September …

Last Thursday morning, August 27, some people in northbound I-5 traffic probably noticed the green California Department of Fish & Game truck parked on the side of the freeway, above the Batiquitos Lagoon. Unfortunately for …

Two females were able to escape an attempted kidnapping on Tuesday, September 1, at approximately 2:35 p.m. in front of the Lew's Market on Imperial Avenue. According to a police dispatcher, the suspect was described …

As a heat wave ripped through Southern California on Friday, August 27, it became too much for one customer at the C Street Jack in the Box. At about 2 p.m., the man was waving …

On April 12, 2007, I did some concrete work in the backyard of my Rancho Peñasquitos home with the help of my wife, son-in-law, and two close friends. I rented a cement mixer in Poway, …

Wall Street absolutely loves the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC). That’s a major reason why backcountry folks may have to swallow San Diego Gas & Electric’s loony scheme to shut off those rural residents’ power …

Last year filmmaker Eddie Martin announced plans to make a biopic of the life of the late Bon Scott. Not a bad call. As former lead singer of AC/DC, Scott’s fame was palpable at the …

The Thermals’ 2006 album The Body, the Blood, the Machine was a punk-rock concept album about an America tyrannized by a fundamentalist Christian theocracy. Sound familiar? One online commenter described The Body as sounding like …

“I’m a serial collaborator,” says Christopher Leyva of Blizzard and Revolution 89. In addition to his band projects, Leyva has collaborated with Greg Laswell, Phil Solem (the Rembrandts), Steve Poltz, members of Louis XIV, producer …

UCSD political science professor Peter Gourevitch, who has taken over as acting dean of the university’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies while full-time dean Peter Cowhey is away on extended leave advising the …

How are you going to keep the cops down on the farm once they’ve seen Coronado? That seems to be the question facing the federally funded National Institute of Justice, which is hosting the Technology …

You might call it MySpace for La Migra. Alan Bersin, ex–San Diego schools chief and President Barack Obama’s “Border Czar” in the Department of Homeland Security, has set up an online social networking site called …

Erratum In last week’s “Off the Cuff” column, the wrong photo was used for the Barry Ladd interview. Hey, Man, Back Up Regarding Rachael Gordon’s little interview (“I’m a ’70s Girl,” August 27) in respects …

Recipe by Chris Walsh, executive chef, Bite. Back in the ’80s, when I was executive chef at California Cuisine, cooking went through this really exciting time. All of a sudden there was Alice Waters and …

Matthew Alice: Is all rice for human consumption actually farmed from earth? I find it hard to believe that every grain of rice sitting in stores or being processed for sale throughout the world is …

When I checked my voice mail to see if anyone called in a party, I heard there was a barbecue in Crest, so off I went. Marilyn had a big house with a pool in …

Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway. — Author Unknown "Two cups of coffee and I’m still groggy.” I brought my fingers to my forehead and kneaded the area around my brows, as much to relieve …

Truluck’s is a Florida-based surf-and-turf house specializing in crabs — above all, Florida stone crabs, but also Maine Jonahs, Pacific Dungeness, never-frozen (they claim) Alaskan King, and even a bit of Maine Peekytoe and blue …

In the 1950s, led by John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger, British playwrights railed against the establishment’s bankrupt values and hypocrisy. In the 1990s, Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, and others became part of the “In …

Another hot — really freaking hot — August weekend. A Sunday morning, actually, and I’m greeting the (in theory) post-church crowd in and around Horton Plaza with the perfectly civil question, “Wassup? Know I’m sayin’?” …

The NFL season is upon us, and fans by the tens of millions are setting aside family time, domestic chores, and community service to meld with their HDTV. Let them — the Box is stalking …

Last week I visited Gethsemane Lutheran Church in the wake of the Evangelical Lutheran Conference of America’s decision to allow partnered homosexuals to serve as clergy (in certain circumstances). This week, I crossed the parking …

Pyles Peak is just one bump in a series of several distinct high points stretching between Cowles Mountain and Fortuna Mountain in East County’s Mission Trails Regional Park. Collectively, the high points make up a …

“The first concert I ever saw was Assassin in early 1985, at Straita Head Sound in La Mesa,” says Deep Shag Records exec Michael Reed, who ended up running the band’s fan club. “They were …

Gabey D’Schiavone spent the ’80s on the Sunset Strip in L.A.’s glam-band scene. His band, Ambush, played the same clubs — Gazarri’s, Troubadour, Roxy — that cradled Poison, Ratt, and Mötley Crüe. “All my friends …

Days after returning from a solo tour opening for two-piece folk-punk act Andrew Jackson Jihad, Jackson Milgaten sits at a table inside North Park smoothie joint Señor Mango’s for an interview and update on the …

Somewhere in San Diego a tantalizing Holy Grail of rock performance history is awaiting discovery in a dusty corner…maybe. As documented in Richie Unterberger’s comprehensive new book White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day by …

Thirty Years AgoDear Matthew Alice:Are there more men than women in San Diego?— Curious Couple, San Diego Men generally outnumber women in this city and will continue to do so in the next decade, according …

Gaaron VarnerThe Cinema Drinker I recommend Strange Brew. Disclaimer: This movie does not accurately depict the brewing process...just a warning to all those home brewers out there! On to the movie, eh? Any movie that …

Collision of the end of summer and the start of fall: massive pileup. Quite separate from the seven new movies that opened in our town last Friday alone, eight more are slated to open this …

Charlie Robison delivers his signature whiskey-soaked country on Beautiful Day. The theme of the collection, most noticeable on tracks such as "Reconsider" and "Down Again," is emotional turmoil, a response to his divorce from Emily …

Councilmember Marti Emerald continues to be a driving force behind pedicab regulation reform in the city. Ever since 60-year-old tourist Sharon Miller died as a result of getting thrown from a pedicab on July 4, …

I highly recommend stopping in Manuel Antonio if you’re visiting Costa Rica. This seaside jewel offers a verdant rainforest teeming with wildlife and hiking trails adjoining a picturesque beach. It’s worthwhile to hire one of …

The third effort from Baltimore foursome All Time Low finds the band struggling to establish credibility in the saturated pop-punk market. Lead single "Weightless," like a majority of the record, is by-the-numbers upbeat power pop. …

As president of the Asociación de Comerciantes Turisticos de Tijuana, Julián Palombo Saucedo is worried. He recently learned that convicted Mexican nationals serving prison time in California may be returning to Mexico via Tijuana. Palombo's …

Multiple gunshots were fired at police officers at around 2:35 a.m. on Monday, August 31. The shots were reportedly fired from the I-15, between the Market Street southbound on-ramp and north of Imperial Avenue. Police …

A dozen protesters pretending to be ultra-rich pulled up in a stretch limo and stole the show at a town-hall meeting hosted by congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) on Saturday, August 29. The group, whose members …