At 10 a.m. on December 27, Chris and Dave, two Lake Murray runners, discovered five tame, domesticated rabbits wandering around the edge of the service road near the 2 ¼ mile marker of the trail. …

“Yeah, the music is dark. It’s what comes out, but it’s kind of heartfelt. But some people think it sounds like nightmares.” Music from one of Dante’s seven circles of hell: ex-metal guitarist Tristan Shone, …

Most Americans probably don’t know where the Faroe Islands are. They’re a small island chain between Iceland and Scotland, speaking a language derived from Old Norse and Western Norwegian dialects. If anyone's heard of the …

1 ) Early Look: Ballast Point in Little Italy — Bursting-at-the-seams company’s new brewery-restaurant 2 ) URBN and co. taking over El Cajon Brewing Co. — East County brewpub reopening under coal-fired pizza giant and …

I first met newscaster Loren Nancarrow in the early 1980s. I was a community activist in Encinitas, helping our unincorporated communities advance toward cityhood. When he would show up to one of our press conferences …

Hoo-wee! Zingy, but tasty. And this little pot of fire is a meal in itself.

“Carlos Santana picked up an unplugged electric guitar I had here in the office and he played three notes.” Michael Krewitsky sits in what used to be the mixing studio at ProSound in Mission Valley, …

The Casbah is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month with a slate of local-centric reunions and all-star jams, and it’s hard to pick just one night worth showcasing. For my money, the January 17 Penetrators …

For musicals, San Diego must be World Premiere Central. We see all kinds, in varying stages, and send two or three to Broadway each year. But once in a blue moon, one’s produced here that’s …

The nervousness I felt was rote — anxiety is my body’s automatic response when I’m awaiting test results of any kind, be they medical or scholastic. This one was called a “personality assessment.” It was …

In California, legal noncitizens are 10 percent of the population.

Current owner: Sharon Zell Listing Price: $5,000,000 Beds: 5 Baths: 7 This week’s estate is perched atop a hill, just a few blocks from the San Diego Bay in the Point Loma neighborhood of La …

Touchstone Golf — an Austin, Texas-based golf course management company that according to Republican party and Lincoln Club disclosure filings has been delivering some big San Diego political money of late —has denied that it …

San Diego economy this year will be weak, very much like last year.

One big name in local charity salaries was missing from a list of nonprofit chief executives paid more than $200,000, compiled recently by U-T San Diego. Hugh M. Davies, CEO and the David C. Copley …

Demonized Unions With reference to the December 19 cover story, “We’re Constantly in Fear,” I am fully aware of the disparity in the treatment of adjunct and tenured faculty. You see, I was a tenured …

“The number could be off by a few in either direction, but I think it’s been around 520.” Carey Driscoll says he’s lost count of the number of shows he has produced over ten years …

1 ) Roman Abramovich yacht on San Diego’s Embarcadero — Two helicopter pads, pool, spa, hot tub... 2 ) San Diego Chargers Philip Rivers on indefinite hiatus following political endorsement — All-Pro quarterback's statement on …

The Styletones were paid a one-time fee for the use of their version of Sam and Dave’s “Hold on I’m Comin’” that ran in a Super Bowl TV ad for milk last February. Steve Harris …

Though my man and I dine out frequently, we tend to save the super-high-end foodie adventures for special occasions, such as David’s birthday. Last year, we splurged for what ultimately turned out to be a …

In Tijuana over the summer, many walls were painted white and then short verses were painted on them. The lines that seemingly were intended to promote art, culture, and poetry are now filled with tags, …

GOP congressional candidate Carl DeMaio, running against freshman La Jolla Democrat Scott Peters, has been raising money in New York City. According to the website PoliticalPartyTime.org, Log Cabin New York threw a December 10 Manhattan …

Since the last two concert weekends at San Diego Symphony have been all German affairs, this is the perfect time to start the German love-fest section of the World Cup. The first contest is between …

East Shepherd, or Greenbelt, trail is interesting in all seasons, with a combination of native coastal sage scrub and nonnative plants in the canyon. Walk north on Santo Road for about 160 feet, where the …

After a December 30 shoot-out on Catalina Boulevard in Point Loma, a briefing was given by Lt. Jose Duran of the San Diego Police Department at 11 a.m. He said a U.S. Marshal Violent Crimes …

It’s hard out there for a film critic. It’s especially hard right now — January. People say, “Happy New Year.” People think of new beginnings and better times. A chance to slough off the encrusted …

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 26 sanctioned New York-based Instinet for ignoring signs that San Diego's J.S. Oliver Capital Management was ripping off its clients. Instinet agreed to pay $800,000 to settle …

A major fire broke out on Sunday night, December 29, at a multi-unit residence in Mission Beach. Flames ripped through the entire structure within minutes. San Diego Fire-Rescue battled the two-alarm blaze in the 800 …

U-T San Diego publisher and reputed mega-millionaire Douglas Manchester got married on the weekend before Christmas at his Manchester Grand Del Mar resort in the northern reaches of the city of San Diego, and, as …

Coagulating in 1980s London, the Blood is a unique punk band led by “Cardinal Jesus Hate.” This show did not disappoint, even though the crowd at Brick by Brick maxed out at 25 (including the …

“The man was an informer.” Riggs and I are sharing daytime fun, a black guy and a white guy driving around black townships, at risk both from South African security forces and enraged blacks who, …

The bassist Scott LaFaro, whom Evans lost to a car crash prior to recording this, was staking out entirely striking counterpoint on his instrument, so anything without him was likely to seem a letdown. Evans …

Lorraine Henrietta Israel Rountree passed away on April 7, 2010, at the age of 87. Since her remains were cremated, the ashes have been with one of her daughters, who also kept Rountree’s husband's ashes.The …

At 1:00 p.m., on December 26, one engine and a paramedic unit from the Vista Fire Deptartment responded to a report of a “man down.” The homeless-looking man was said to be lying on the …

The long-touted economic benefits of using nuclear energy may turn out to have been a pipe dream for customers of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and other nuclear plants nationwide, according to newly released …

Though Bonita's welcome mat has been pulled, the South Bay community is hardly discouraging people from coming by. The “Welcome to Bonita” sign, designed to convey a warm hello to those entering the community's portal, …

At a Lemon Grove restaurant, looking at the shared history of soul food, barbecue, and African-American cooks.

1 ) Sun Diego drops in on Nineteen Nineteen — Oceanside’s Ocean House was poised to become a big nightspot, say investors; then, Sun Diego, a surf-shop chain, allegedly agreed to pay $29,000/month in rent, …

A data-sharing agreement between Sweetwater Union High School District and South Bay Community Services/Promise Neighborhoods continues to be withheld from the Reader and the public from whom the data was collected. South Bay Community Services …

Five of the 20 Imperial Beach homeowners and groups that filed damage claims for the flooding that followed SANDAG's beach replenishment project were turned away on December 20. SANDAG's board voted that the five could …

San Diego's original barbecue restaurant still going after almost seventy years and half a dozen locations.

Ensconced in the eastern edge of Escondido between the Humane Society and Dog Park, the Charros Arena and its surroundings serve as a staging ground for hikers, bikers, and horse riders. The south end of …

There will be less options for low-budget South Bay moviegoers in 2014 when the UltraStar Cinemas movie theater in Chula Vista shuts down early in the year. "We've been purchased by AMC," said Cheryl Dodge, …

In theory, any of the thousands of strip malls paving their way across Southern California could house delicious locally-owned restaurants worthy of repeat business. In reality, they don't. Most strip malls offer a scourge of …

The San Diego Community Land Trust on December 26 announced that the group will take possession of 3.3 acres in the southern San Diego community of Nestor in exchange for the nominal fee of 16 …

Residents of Kensington and Talmadge say the city must take a greater role in regulating where the green utility boxes are placed during the massive effort to bury overhead utility lines. Cable companies disagree, claiming …

If a film is so bad that I can’t make it all the way through to the end, then it automatically qualifies as one of the year’s worst. This year found me making a mad …

Before his fall into ignominy and out of a job as a result of a sexual harassment scandal, ex–San Diego Democratic mayor Bob Filner raised a ruckus among the local Republican establishment when, as one …

Croce's is on the way out — of downtown — and on the way in, to Bankers Hill. Like Café Bassam before it, the beloved live music icon had to abandon downtown and retreat up the hill because it had been too successful. It sounds as though Croce's Park West will be pretty much the same, but the Gaslamp won't. A bit more life has just been sapped from it.

If you're a fan of Westerns, at one time or another you've seen one filmed in Randsburg, where the spirit of the old West is alive and thriving just three hours' drive from San Diego. …

For this series, I've recruited my dog Loki to help me review canine-friendly restaurants around town. Not because I necessarily want her to dine with me, but because sometimes, when we're out exploring the world, I get hungry.

A group calling itself Citizens for Odor Nuisance Abatement has filed a Superior Court suit against the City of San Diego and interim mayor Todd Gloria, according to Courthouse News Service. The suit demands that …

Now that the date for voters to decide on the Barrio Logan Community Plan update is set for June 2014, the legal fight will resume. Earlier this week, attorneys for the Environmental Health Coalition — …

As I walked near the mist-shrouded lakes beyond the ruins of the Glendalough monastery, it was easy to imagine there were magical creatures just beyond my field of vision. A misty morning stroll past the …

Back in October 1994, when he was a member of the Navy's elite SEAL training team at Coronado, Bruce Schliemann was featured in an official Navy account of his South Pacific exploits. Three Navy SEALs …

In this age of text and twitter shorthand, it's tough to say whether branding your storefront with the bright bold letters "BFD" should be taken as a bold declaration, or act of self-deprecation. Fortunately, the …

While not wholly unique, the concept behind San Diego Cellars is fun. The novelty lies in putting a fully functional winery, kitchen, and tasting room within the confines of the city, rather than exiling winemaking …

Cool cats from both sides of la linea rip away at Tijuana’s new food.

If the ’60s taught us anything, it is this: exactly how a rock and roll band should look. As a quintet, Terraplane Sun, which lists Venice Beach as their hometown, surely agree. Pick any British …

The Importance of Tagging I am the biologist responsible for the tagged fish going into San Diego County reservoirs. If you would like me to explain the different tagging studies and why they are important …

The roots of Drunkin’ Punkin’ Idiots (aka D.P.I.) go back to early 2002, when their original bassist and singer were both working at Pride, an O.B. surf shop. In short order, their debut self-titled CD …

This is one of the most popular hikes in the Anza-Borrego Desert. From the top, there is an almost 360-degree view that includes a major part of both the state park and the state vehicular …

After spending a whole week eating nothing but food found in dumpsters of grocery stores, Rob Greenfield hosted a dinner party at his home in Ocean Beach on Friday, December 20. With the goal to …

Next morning I begin making the rounds, schedule interviews with a well-known activist who’s teaching at University of Witwatersrand (he has since been detained), with Brendon Berry, president of the National University Student Association, recently …

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese …

The best way to become an NFL team owner is by inheriting an NFL team. Second best is by marrying someone who owns an NFL team. Third best is by inheriting a colossal amount of …

“Sushi chefs’d freak,” says Big John. “We have sushi that we just make up, like our Dr. Eel Good, the Betty, the Joint, the Mary Jane, the O’Beef. That has seared filet mignon on top…” …

This October, the New York Observer ran a lengthy exposé of members of New Jersey's Wilf family and its patriarch Zygmunt Wilf — Zygi for short — who made their fortune in housing complexes before …

Having never read Jordan Belfort’s autobiography, The Wolf of Wall Street — which forms the basis of Martin Scorsese’s latest, most outrageous essay on common denominators living the life of upscale, drug-enhanced, and power-infested businessmen …

Suzanne Harper, after losing the locally based “3 Minutes to Stardom” music performance contest and accompanying $10,000 grand prize, goes on to finals in the Texaco Country Showdown contest, with a prize of $100,000.

The New York Times this morning, December 25, features a long, positive story on a San Diego startup company, SGB (seeds, genetics, biofuels), which is growing a plant named jatropha. The seeds of the Jatropha …

The administration of $400,000-a-year president Elliot Hirshman over at San Diego State University, widely known as one of America’s biggest sex, drugs, and party schools, is spending major money to obtain a more refined experience …

Michelle Ortega said Richard Murillo showed her the gun when he met her down by the front gate of her property on the San Pasqual Indian Reservation in Valley Center. It was after 11 o’clock …

Members of the board that runs the Del Mar Fair were, as usual, generous with their free ticket handouts to this year’s July 17 opening day at the track. Board president Adam Day, assistant tribal …

Contact: 404 8th St., Ramona, 760-789-3348 fccramona.org Membership: 240 Pastor: David Auten Age: 35 Born: Erie, PA Formation: Yale University, New Haven, CT; University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT; Years Ordained: 6 San Diego Reader: …

A boy had stopped his car To save a turtle in the road; I was not far Behind, and slowed, And stopped to watch as he began To shoo it off into the undergrowth — …

Tonight brings a stereotypical Jewish Christmas Eve: Chinese food and a movie. The festive pre-show meal takes place at China Too on Fifth, the only Cantonese chow house in town where ambiance is defined by …

The mildly cold days of winter descend on San Diego as early as November some years, forcing us to don knit beanies and hooded sweatshirts for as many as two or three evenings in a …

Following phenomenal success of BEEROLOGY exhibit, San Diego Museum of Man applies similar format to another cultural craze.

Over 10,000 years ago, playa-gatherers admired the first badonkadonk. Since then, butts have spread across the globe and have come to be known by many names. Other than breasts, and perhaps legs, they are the …

If you’re going to be in sunny San Diego for Christmas, here’s a playlist of local-centric holiday tunes. The newest, “Please Santa,” was just released as a free download from Flaggs, a relatively new ensemble …

“Lo que venga del gringo es lo mejor, es la mas pura,” a junkie in the Tijuana River channel area told me when I recently asked him about his drugs of choice. He was a …

You can’t go wrong with black. It’s slimming. It’s simple. It’s sleek. It’s the shade that Audrey Hepburn is remembered most for wearing in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Her little black dress is a look that …

NaturEner, which operates three wind farms in Montana, has filed a suit in Montana District Court against San Diego Gas & Electric, according to the publications North American Windpower and Power Engineering. Those three wind …

The 33-day Sriracha shutdown ordered by the California Department of Public Health on Huy Fong Foods in Irwindale caused a heated reaction by the owner of one southern California burger chain. Slater’s 50/50, which has …

The first edition of the San Diego Holiday Half Marathon is sold out. However, there will be additional spots up for grabs at Road Runner Sports this Saturday, December 28. The event will take place …

Congressman Scott Peters spent Friday morning, December 20, making a few public appearances in the downtown area, stumping for policies to promote access to food for the disadvantaged and elderly at each. Peters started the …

I went to The Nutcracker on Friday night at the Civic Theater. The production was by California Ballet and I have to admit that I was impressed. Of course, I'm not an expert when it …

Janet Mika placed a Christmas tree near Madra Dog, the 30-inch tall rottweiler statue at the end of her Madra Avenue driveway, and posted a December 8 invitation on the dog's Facebook page. She invited …

“I don’t know if you’ve ever had a chance to look at a picture of the cosmic microwave background. It’s basically the afterbirth of the Big Bang. This is sort of an interpretation of that, …

County sewage-spill warning signs that say "keep out" were put up on Monument Road in Border Field State Park recently without the county's okay and without testing the puddles of water. The bright yellow warning …

San Diegans reserve a special sort of judgment for Mexican food — one where quality is less associated with fine dining as it is a feeling that the food could have been wrapped up and …

Led by a familiar face in county politics, a campaign fund backing Republican city councilman Kevin Faulconer for mayor is arranging to purchase TV commercials ahead of this coming February's special election in which Faulconer …

When you consider all the questionable "bile" this column pumps, I am amazed to report that one Joseph Genoese has decided to take offense to a goof column written under the guise of "Earl Stiff." …

You get the feeling Ella Eden wants something to go right, just this once. With good reason: her father no longer recognizes her — Alzheimer’s. All he can recall is the moment, years ago, when …

The Agrarian Tribunal of Baja California has ruled that the government wrongly issued the title to land on which Sempra Energy's liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant sits. The land in Baja California belongs to a …

There’s just something about 1263 University Avenue. Restaurants there are always already doomed to failure. How many have come and come in recent years? Most recently, the Range (which wasn’t any good) made a go …

On December 17 at 6:45 p.m., a three-car collision on the corner of Fletcher Parkway Drive and Baltimore Drive in La Mesa drew six police cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance. The destruction was …

Dorothy Maraglino, a 38-year-old woman from Fallbrook who is currently charged with kidnap, torture, and murder, said, “I’m prepared to represent myself” in San Diego Superior Court on December 18, 2013. Maraglino made the statement …

How I ended up in Hai Phong, Vietnam, with 10 other teachers is somewhat of a mystery. Being the only tays (meaning “Westerner” in Vietnamese), we were pseudo-celebrities in this small town. It was not …

The awe of nature or the snuggle of a warm snout or cute paw give us a fill of joy that we're looking for around this time of the year. For those of us without …

Jeffrey Spanier was convicted by a federal jury on Friday, December 20, for his role in a scam that took $100 million from people, including top executives. Spanier, Douglas McClain, and James Miceli ran an …

Among the 3600 or so San Diego band names we’ve chronicled over the years, certain key phrases seem most popular. Some are understandable, like 19 with “west” in their names (look at our locale) and …

Fusion's not a difficult a culinary concept to embrace. Combining the flavor profiles of unrelated global cuisines makes for a great narrative — just as appealing to bored young chefs as to bored young foodies. …

SeaWorld Entertainment, beset by the documentary Blackfish, which blasts the company's treatment of orcas, on December 20 placed ads in several newspapers, including the U-T. SeaWorld has a park here. The ads attempt to exonerate …

One week before a coalition of shipbuilders submitted more than 53,000 signatures to initiate a referendum aimed at overturning the city council's update of the Barrio Logan Community Plan, city attorney Jan Goldsmith was at …

The Sweetwater Union High School District has four pieces of property it wants to sell. At the December 9 board meeting, Tom Calhoun, the executive director of facilities for Sweetwater, gave a presentation on asset …

Photographs deceive from the virtual walls of restaurant website image galleries, or the constructed space of press releases, providing would-be guests with a virtual tour of a restaurant’s interior. Enhanced colors create an extra lustrous …

Things may be busy on Capitol Hill with the budget deal and all, but Scott Hinkle, acting legislative director for freshman Democratic congressman Juan Vargas, still managed to get away for two days in Manhattan …

'Tis the season for pop stars to release Christmas music. Kelly Clarkson, the successful first-season American Idol, has given America a musical gift. Her album Wrapped in Red consists of 14 songs plus two deluxe …

Although the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station has produced its final megawatt of power, many battles between regulators, activists, and energy companies with ownership stakes in the plant remain to be fought. It remains to …

It's no surprise to anyone that Austin, Texas, is a hip destination, boasting one of the best live music scenes in the country, some fantastic barbecue, and the University of Texas. I was already aware …

Some people express their thoughts by making speeches, joining movements, speaking out, singing protest songs. Guillermo “Oso” Campos Moreno does it through cooking. Cooking tacos with a message. On the street, in Tijuana. Which is …

Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids brought "crowd surfing" to a new level. Multi-colored laser beams gleamed throughout the arena as Timberlake and his crew opened the show with "Pusher Love Girl" and danced across …

According to an article on the Hubspot website, Apple's iPhone5 has a 64-bit A7 microprocessor that has competitors quaking. Qualcomm provides microprocessors for Android phones that compete against Apple. Hubspot quotes an alleged Qualcomm insider …

One of the biggest parts of my job as a beer journalist is keeping up on work-in-progress brewing companies looking to come online throughout the county. The current number of upcoming breweries I’m monitoring is …

I was researching at the San Diego History Center and Jane Kenealy, she of the encyclopedic memory, asked me if I’d ever seen the Temple collection. I hadn’t. She emerged from the archives with two …

University of San Diego's Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies is more a crock than a well-run, properly managed school, says a new federal lawsuit filed by the school's former dean, Dr. Edward Luck. …

“Over there,” says the bouncer. He points across Highway 101. I’ve just asked him where the best happy hour is around this town. I’m up in Encinitas (“Little Oaks”). He’s nodding towards a low modern-looking …

A jury declared Matthew Nathan Terrell guilty of assault with intent to commit rape and false imprisonment, on December 18. The attack happened in a Carlsbad motel room on June 9, 2013. The jury declared …

The United Kingdom is holding a select committee inquiry into remote-controlled warfare. San Diego's General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the big drone-maker, submitted a paper, complaining that the word "drone" has pejorative connotations. Indeed, that word …

I'm getting a little weary of praising the San Diego Symphony to the heavens, but they're not giving much of a choice. Last week's "most beautiful sound ever" has now been replaced by the brass …

If you have lived in Spring Valley for any period of time, then you have probably bought a Christmas tree from Tim Gross. Since 1981, he has transported thousands of Christmas trees from his 200-acre …

Charles Thomas Munger, Jr., son of a wealthy sideman to Omaha, Nebraska, billionaire Warren Buffett, has become the latest super-rich American to wade into the battle for San Diego mayor, cutting a $1000 check for …

All-Pro quarterback's statement on abortion and traditional marriage "in no way represents the views of the San Diego Chargers football organization."

Grant Cooper explains how to best use the Internet in your job search. First, please tell me what you do. For the past 19 years, I have operated a résumé writing and career coaching business …

Chris Francis of Oceanside was a party planner before the recession hit her business. After a year of searching for a job in her field, a friend told her about a part-time job for an …

As one might expect, I sample a lot of beers over the course of a year; easily hundreds. It’s rare that I drink the same beer twice in twelve months as I’m too addicted to …

It’s difficult to find anyone who really is happy with a minimum wage. The workers who receive it think it should be higher; the employers who pay it are aggravated by it; and, the legislators …

Are high schools liable for students injured during high-school sports? On December 16, the Fourth District Court of Appeal weighed in on that question by dismissing a lawsuit brought against the Grossmont Union High School …

It’s December in Tijuana, and that means residences and public spaces across the city are exploding with seasonal posada parties. The 400-year-old Mexican custom celebrates the Virgin Mary’s immaculate conception and pregnancy with candle-lit processions, …

Google “Georgia,” and you are much more likely to get recipes for peach pie than to learn about the unique ex-Soviet republic where wine was invented and a special language and culture survived a thousand …

Interviews with adjunct professors who realize that the colleges and universities that employ them never intend to give them tenure. Most teachers who make a living out of it have to hold down more than one job.

Wanda Sykes made a joke about leaving her vagina at home so she could go out safely at night. Think of it. Taking away their greatest weapon, hiding it in a jewelry box lined with …

Blues-rocker Laurel Sorenson will debut her See What You Got EP with a free all-ages concert on December 20 at Seaweed and Gravel, an Encinitas motorcycle/vintage clothing/surf shop. Attendees are asked to bring a new, …

Writer Chad Deal gets drunk under the table with Fireball shots by a 90-some-year-old woman in a wheelchair.

Interview with Gary Heffern, former frontman for the Penetrators.

Sweetwater Union High School District trustee Arlie Ricasa, who had initially been charged with 28 felony and misdemeanor counts in the South Bay’s schools corruption case, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor today, December 18. Early …

Heart on Sleeve Author: Casey McCarthy From: La Jolla Blogging since: 2008 About Hi. I’m Casey and among other things I’m a writer, feminist, activist, media & communications advisor, mother, wife, nomad, hopeless idealist and …

A home near the third tee of La Costa Country Club, at 2050 Caleta Court in Carlsbad, is up for sale for $2.2 million. It was the home of Allard Roen, one of four controversial …

H.P. Newquist talks about the giant replica of a Gibson Flying V on exhibit at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Theater in Balboa Park, part of Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World. It’s over 43 feet long!

Balboa Park’s got Women, War, and Industry and Staking Claim: A California Invitational.

When news hit this desk that Tom Laughlin died earlier this month of complications from pneumonia, I...just...went...BERSERK! You want berserk? I was in the audience the night Laughlin four-walled the UA Cinema 150 in Oakbrook, …

I’m not sure American Hustle is the best picture of the year. I’m not even sure if it’s my favorite picture of the year. But I’m pretty sure it brought me more oh-hell-yes pleasure than …

Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty begins, before it starts, with a single word. Asked to compare Steph, his girlfriend of four years, to the new “hottie” at the warehouse, Greg said Steph has a …

San Diego musicians are asked what they want for Christmas. Among desires: guitar pickups, Pabst Blue Ribbon, skateboard, Harley-Davidson, a four-week Tahitian vacation…

Perfect night for sitting out. If you have a heater. And that makes it a perfect night to be in El Cajon. Because, by my reckoning, the City of the Valley has the best sidewalk …

Dozens of protesters from across the county gathered outside San Ysidro Middle School on Tuesday afternoon, December 17, to rally before heading into a meeting arranged by the Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of the …

So much for keeping the city's legal expenses at $90,000 when defending sexual harassment allegations against former mayor Bob Filner. The city is instead forced to fight the level of sexual harassment training it provides …

May 8, 1986. I am the only passenger on the 30-minute shuttle from Jans Smuts International Airport to Johannesburg’s city center. Joburg’s population is three million plus and its downtown bears an uncanny resemblance to …

This is one of the most popular hiking trails in the Anza-Borrego Desert. Where else can you camp in comfort with full facilities, including hot showers, and soak in pools of geothermally heated mineral water …

A former employee of the city's Economic Development Department says his bosses fired him because he refused to join the Municipal Employees Association. Trevor Howell, a former Community Development Specialist, claims that his bosses Eliana …

“Ooh, I know!” Terri’s face lit up so suddenly and brightly, I pictured a little cartoon bulb over her head. “What about mimes? I even have the perfect outfit to wear.” “No mimes,” David said …

Here’s another late-breaking young-band-on-the-rise alert: TV Ghost. I can say this even though they started in 2006 because each of their albums has sounded a little different. They grew up as musicians in the garage-punk …

It’s time to tally up the annual take of Del Mar’s so-called charity race days, representing the net proceeds required by law to be turned over for worthy causes during certain designated days of each …

The number of brewing companies opening around the county in 2013 was unmatched, and so too was the number of new facilities opened by existing brewing companies. The following is a list of the most …

The scandal surrounding Singapore-based Glenn David Marine Asia, and the gifts the company provided to Navy personnel in exchange for luxury living and prostitutes, expanded yesterday, December 17. Supervisory special agent John Bertrand Beliveau pleaded …

It reads like a page out of a comic book: an underground team of developers and building-industry professionals whose sole mission is to change land-use policies, in some cases easing development regulations. But this isn’t …

Attendees to events at the Valley View Casino Center (Sports Arena) frequently park offsite, where their cars are frequently towed, resulting in $300 fines. Arena operator Ernie Hahn says it’s egregious the way tow trucks line up after events begin.

Qualcomm, which has been lobbying hard this year for more visas for foreign workers, isn’t the only local concern that has been spending heavily in a bid to get more people from abroad into the …

Stick to Canvas I’m calling about the cover of last week’s Reader, “There’s No Feeling Equal to Tagging” (December 12). Even though the headline is a quotation, I feel it was irresponsible of you to …

Out of a job is Cliff Albert, the KOGO chieftain who ruled the airwaves and a sizable chunk of local San Diego political life in the glory days of fallen San Diego GOP mayor Roger …

God, who stirred the void and in Motion’s birth Revealed yourself; the warm limbs wake Along the dark stairways, the far eyes life to take The fixed commotion of the stars, their dim furious speed …

Barbecue has its roots in the humblest corners of the American South. The “low and slow” cooking method was developed as a way of increasing the palatability of tough, sinewy cuts of meat. ‘Cue isn’t …

City officials in Carlsbad have been on the hunt for small-scale water sources to meet demands and to supplement the existing supply. On December 5, the City of Carlsbad came one step closer to achieving …

Island native David Spatafore and his cousin Leroy Mossel are on the move again. In recent years, the cousins created MooTime Creamery, Leroy's Kitchen, Village Pizzeria, Lil' Piggy's Bar-B-Q, and Coronado Coffee Company, all successful …

“If you look at it from Japanese culture, America has more variety of chefs,” explains Jerry Warner, the executive chef in Café Japengo in La Jolla. “Over there, women are not allowed to make sushi …

Tijuana’s so-called “tolerance zone” has been canonized as a post-topian hive of lechers, dope fiends, harlots, swindlers, and godforsaken gringos — and all for good reason. The infamous red light district is Biff Tannen’s alternate …

Actress Tippi Hedren, whose most famous role was in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds in 1963, has won a $1.5 million case over a gallon of water that hit her on the head at San Diego's …

Computer-science researchers at UC San Diego have announced progress in developing an algorithm that can be used to classify someone as a member of an "urban tribe" — such as a surfer, hipster, goth, or …

A police helicopter threw its spotlight on a slow-speed car chase through Ocean Beach Friday night, December 13. As many as nine patrol cars attempted to corral a stolen Honda Civic as it weaved on …

As I did last year, I’m calling out the best new brewing operations to debut in 2013 or so late last year that they didn’t qualify for the 2012 rookie of the year race. Last …

Friday the 13th didn’t work out so well for a certain taxi and its driver in the sketchy Zona Norte section of downtown Tijuana. Clientele of the local taco cart, wayward pedestrians, sidewalk prostitutes, and …

John G. Rizzo was sentenced yesterday, December 16, to 30 months in prison for fraudulently hiring offshore boiler rooms to sell penny stock in software firm iTracker. Investors were not told that only 20 percent …

“You in town?” Little did I know my text would lead to hiking 22 miles within the next 24 hours. Seriously. A marathon minus four miles – but with 10,500 feet of climbing, hurting, bonding, …

The seemingly innocuous announcement of a “state of the city” address by the mayor of Imperial Beach has caused controversy after a potential political rival raised questions about the motives and cost of the event. …

About 40 men and women held a silent rally at Westfield North County Mall in Escondido on Saturday, December 14, the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook mass murder of 26 people at a Connecticut …

The mention of Melanie Hamilton in GWTW or the second Mrs. de Winter in Rebecca might be enough to jog a few memories, but seeing how it's been over 20 years since either Olivia de …

This Thanksgiving, for once, I was neither cooking for a crowd nor eating with a crowd. It’s been an exhausting year, so John and I decided we were overdue for a long weekend of lazy …

When it is good, Phil Johnson and Omri Schein’s spoof of upbeat, life-affirming Christmas shows is very good. But when it is bad, and it is too often, the the writing flags, the comedy’s too …

Back in April 2012. we first reported here about Sheryl Oring, a former newspaper writer and editor who was about to embark on a new gig as artist-in-residence at San Diego International Airport. Oring gave …

A 37 year-old man (unnamed in police report) seemed to have suffered a seizure or other medical condition on Saturday afternoon, December 14, before his car launched into a canyon near the California State University …

The Steve Jobs portrait by Albert M. Watson has been recreated on a wall in Playas de Tijuana right next to the bullfighting ring. The mural is located a block away from the beach and …

Last week, I shared my opinion that Saint Archer Brewery just may be the most improved brewing company in San Diego over the last year. That assessment led me to the idea that I should …

San Diego-based Girard Securities has been censured by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for unknowingly permitting fraudulent money transfers from customers' accounts. The firm, which has 360 brokers and 136 branches, has changed its procedures, …

With horses, shields, fake and real tear gas, and one biting dog, about 90 U.S. Border Patrol agents from the San Diego Sector trained for crowd and riot control atop Spooner's Mesa in the Tijuana …

Call me a spoiled Southern Californian, but until I visited Playa El Espino I had never been forced to walk through a herd of milling cattle (left) to get to the ocean. This small fishing …

“I know that when you combine statistics and art, you have a way of reaching people that’s much deeper, because you’re reaching them through the heart,” says Kira Corser, director of “Sea Changes: Act.” The …

The most recent band pages in the Local Music Database include several new “supergroups,” mixing up players from established — and mostly still extant — ensembles. Jack City Blues Band plays boogie, jump, swing, and …

My favorite part of the cold-weather season, if you call 65 degrees "cold," is not hot cocoa or crackling fires, it’s digging my boots out of storage. I’m kind of obsessed with shoes. My husband …

It's a bumpy ride for disabled persons hoping to catch a glimpse of the hang gliders and paragliders at the Torrey Pines Gliderport — at least that's the claim made by two men in a …

My column on the San Diego Film Critics Society year-end picks met with such little resistance that I received a callback. On top of that, I think there’s a Christmas present in my future! While …

A 37-day-old baby girl died on Wednesday, December 11, shortly after she was bitten on the head by a pit bull at her grandmother's house in Tijuana, according to newspaper accounts. The infant, identified only …

The hobbit in The Hobbit may get the title, but it's pretty clear by now that the real star of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy is the dragon Smaug. This isn't exactly surprising; Jackson's roots are …

If you want to put a little skip into Santa's step this holiday season, throw on Bad Religion's new album, Christmas Songs, to greet him as he slides down your chimney. You read correctly, Bad …

The annual holiday event known as Wrex the Halls is a production of alt-rock radio station 91X. Usually composed of a smorgasbord of choice acts, 2013's Wrex was an exceptional bill. One attendee told me …

In June, when last we checked on Sally Roush, the scandal-plagued vice president of business and financial affairs at San Diego State University was retiring from her position after 30 years of university service. Her …

Any survey of San Diego’s barbecue scene would be woefully incomplete without considering the juggernaut of local ‘cue: Phil’s BBQ. (3750 Sports Arena Boulevard) Phil’s needs little introduction. The restaurant’s website runs a webcam so …

Interim Mayor Gloria: "Detroit has not one, but two major freshwater lakes in its backyard. And thanks to our city's efforts at pension reform, San Diego has a budget surplus. Really, it just made sense …

As beautiful as the Brahms performance was, it was not the primary draw to last weekend’s concerts. The big piece of music was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. We weren’t disappointed. The performance was magnificent. The …

The City of La Mesa may ask Democratic assemblywoman Shirley Weber for help with a bill to ban panhandling on medians because Senate Bill 604 (a median-panhandling ban introduced by Republican state senator Joel Anderson) …

I’m a completionist. If there’s a series of something, I want every single component and usually can’t rest until I have each securely hoarded. Music, books, collectibles…it really doesn’t matter. Make a set of anything …

Even though real estate prices have soared in the past year — rising by an average of 18.29 percent across the county, according to the market-tracking firm DataQuick — most property owners in San Diego …

Steve Mollenkopf, who was considered a dark horse to run Microsoft, will be chief executive of Qualcomm. The surprise announcement was made this morning, December 13. Mollenkopf is currently chief operating officer of Qualcomm. The …

Thomas Guernsey, who has been dean of the ailing Thomas Jefferson School of Law since July, has sent a memo to staff admitting past sins and revealing massive pay and staff cuts. Among the troubled …

A San Diego couple falsely detained, pepper-sprayed, and stung with a taser gun will receive $450,000 in exchange for dropping their case against the city and police officers who errantly flagged their Pontiac Sunfire as …

Captain Robert Haley, head of the Encinitas sheriff’s station, held a “Coffee with the Captain” public meeting on December 9. The 8 a.m. session was held at the Chick-fil-A across the street from the sheriff’s …

Lloyd Irving Taylor was arraigned in San Diego's U.S. District Court today, December 12, on charges of aggravated identity theft, tax evasion, and other crimes. The indictment alleges that Taylor stole the identities of nine …

Why we published "Better Dead Than Red (State)," by Donald Androll, San Diego CityBeat Looking back over our previous 49 articles on local Judge Gary Kreep — a man who is not only a Conservative, …

Lightnin’ Jack’s (4705 Clairemont Drive) has some things going for it, not the least of which is the movie deal: 10 percent off if you show a same-day movie ticket from the Regal across the …

As GOP ex-mayor and San Diego chamber of commerce chief Jerry Sanders sets out to vanquish the city's so-called linkage fee on commercial building to subsidize so-called affordable housing here, a distinctly high-end residential developer …

Why waste time and money on Miyazaki's animated wallpaper or Disney's sitcom ice princess when this holiday season's foremost anthropomorphic amusement stars our disgraced former mayor, Bob Filner, and could be coming soon to a …

Boosterism: “the act of ‘boosting’ or promoting a town with the goal of improving public perception of it.” “America’s Finest City” (see what I mean?) has a long, purple-prosy tradition of hyping itself to the …

Connecticut-based HEI Hotels & Resorts and the labor union Unite Here have announced the foundation of a long-term partnership to improve industry-wide relations. HEI owns the San Diego Marriott La Jolla (purchased in mid-2011 for …

I just want to inform those who knew Lyle (Rocky) Neptun that he died December 7 in Tijuana, Mexico. I heard he had been murdered. As of this moment he is still at the morgue …

1) Leave your rolly luggage at home. Wear a backpack and only fill it ⅔ full. You will shop – if not for yourself, for your friends. Most of all, make sure that your bag …

During a court hearing on December 11, Michael Welch claimed that a houseguest, Bryan Paul Jeffries, 30, threatened and punched him and demanded money in December of 2012. The attorney for Jeffries suggested that he …

On a recent visit to UCSD I was much more impressed by the students' majors than their wardrobes (as it should be). There were a whole lot of yoga pants and sweat pants ensembles going …

I’d heard good things and even sampled some good beers from Wiens Brewing Company (27941 Diaz Road, Temecula). I’d even made one of the company’s brews, Far Post Brown Ale, a San Diego Beer News …

You won't “have it your way” anymore from Burger King at 2829 El Cajon Boulevard. It's closed down. The building and parking lot are now surrounded by a chain-link fence. A request by the Reader …

How some graffiti vandals became graffiti artists, thanks in part to City Heights’ Writerz Blok art park.

Cheap Trick is the latest band to back out of a booking at SeaWorld Orlando over the theme park's treatment of orcas, as shown in the recent documentary Blackfish. Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, and the …

The continued presence of three JDS security guards at Sweetwater Union High School District board meetings is a monthly reminder of the deteriorated relations between the district, the public, and teachers. Even with the presence …

“Our show is a lot more than music,” says Guy Boyd, guitarist for the ’80s tribute band Hott Mess. “It’s tongue-in-cheek, but when you get the critical mass — the energy between audience and band …

Let me begin by thanking Marx and Lickona for allowing me to cover the San Diego Film Critics Society year-end vote for The Big Screen. It's been my pleasure to work the society pages at …

“This year, I’m giving the kids the gift of raptors,” said Patrick. Lord, help me, I thought he said Rapture. But, no: we have several sons who are nature enthusiasts, and Patrick had just stumbled …

Qualcomm, the San Diego–based cell-phone technology giant founded by billionaire La Jolla Democrat Irwin Jacobs, made a total of $2,955,786 in politically related expenditures during the 12-month period ending this past September, according to a …

From playing on buses around Tijuana to winning Rockampeonato in 2012, Cañamo has evolved. They have opened for international acts such as Café Tacvba, Don McCarlos, Los Cafres, and Cultura Profetica. Together for more than …

College bowl games are all about money — for sponsors, advertisers, television, university athletic departments, coaches — everybody except players (the players claim, anyway.) Decades ago, bowl games featured top teams playing other top teams. …

The news is that Jake E. Lee’s on the comeback trail with a new band and a new record and everything is okay. For fans of ’80s hard rock, not a whole lot about that …

Residents of Olivenhain, a community within the City of Encinitas, east of El Camino Real, continue their fight against a proposal from Woodbridge Farms Estates, LLC, to raze 7.87 acres of parkland at Desert Rose …

My favorite moment in The Desolation of Smaug, part two of Peter Jackson’s epic expansion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s children’s book The Hobbit, came when the titular hobbit and his thirteen dwarvish companions were buried under …

In addition to a pair of settlements already announced this month, the lawyer representing both victors over city attorney Jan Goldsmith's office has declared a victory of his own. Bryan Pease — whose clients included …

Current Owners: John & Kathleen Urquhart Listing Price: $16,950,000 Beds: 6 Baths: 8 In order to be allowed on the grounds to look at many of the homes featured in Unreal Estate, you’ve got to …

The Highland Valley Trail is part of the San Dieguito River Park trail system. Eventually it will extend 55 miles from Volcan Mountain near Julian to the Pacific Ocean at Del Mar. The Highland Valley …

“The moment I came to San Diego, when I asked about making an album of music, Gregory Page was the man everyone remembered,” says singer/songwriter Tom Brosseau, whose upcoming album, Grass Punks, includes a song …

The first Flyboard video I saw was a game-changer. There was a man in a wet suit, slowly emerging from the ocean. His head, now shoulders, now torso, grow out of the water. And then …

“It’s a concept album, with a storyline that goes with the music,” says Chapman Stick player Tom Griesgraber, whose newest collaboration with Bert Lams (California Guitar Trio), Unnamed Lands, is a prog-rock western set in …

There are no free dinners, except for San Diego politicos. That’s the word contained in a lobbying disclosure report filed by the County of San Diego last month. According to a recently amended statement with …

The beers of Acoustic Ales Brewing Experiment (1718 Hancock Street, Mission Hills) have been available at local bars and restaurants for much of the past year, but it took the company a long time to …

San Diego's job market will be mild in the first quarter of 2014 — slightly weaker than this year's first quarter, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. In next year's first quarter, 15 percent …

Ex–San Diego city councilman and Democratic assemblyman Ben Hueso, suspected by California’s Fair Political Practices Commission of chowing down gratis at a June 20, 2010, developer event, was let off the hook when he explained …

On June 13 of last year, Tom Gildred, chief executive officer of Emerald Textiles, got one of six San Diego “Entrepreneur of the Year” awards from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young. The honor …

December is the month for all kinds of partying, including political. In San Diego, the season kicked off last week with “Legislative Lounge,” at downtown’s U.S. Grant Hotel, a newly instituted function by the San …

Sloppy Work I was quite surprised to read the article, “Border Patrol Combats Crowd of 100,” (News Ticker, December 5) and find typing and grammar error after error. Do you know about spell check and …

Contact: 1600 Buena Vista Drive, Vista, 760-941-4319; vistauu.org Membership: 180 Pastor: Beth Johnson Born: Chicago, Ill. Formation: Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA Years Ordained: 10 San Diego Reader: What’s your favorite subject on which …

I mean, why else would Disney buy the aging Indiana Jones franchise unless Indy was close to discovering the truth?!?

DOT Head Don Dent: "We've already contracted with the estate of Paul Evans, whose 1959 hit 'Seven Little Girls (Sitting in the Back Seat)' contains the immortal chorus: 'Keep your mind on your driving/Keep your …

It’s Saturday night and all the heterosexuals in smart little dresses and sport coats are streaming into what we didn’t know was the hottest spot between Las Vegas and LA. Janet and I are in …

Saturday night was the first time I've been able to catch the San Diego Symphony after their return from touring China. The first sound they made was Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Haydn and …

I overheard a fellow critic at a screening recently saying what a terrible year it had been for movies. His conversational fellows seemed to agree. I haven't been playing the critical game long enough to …

On December 5, Lake Murray was stocked with a load of 1/2- to 1-pound trout. The day before, Lake Murray management gave trout fishermen a new incentive to fish at the park: orange-tagged trout that …

“Fast Forward,” a new group art show at North Park’s Low Gallery, opens Friday the 13th with an artists reception from 6-10 p.m. Following that, the show will remain on display through January 14, 2014. …

When it comes to finding and accessing city services online, San Diego has a pretty bad app for that. So says a newly released report by city auditor Eduardo Luna, entitled "Performance Audit of IT …

Crime is up across the state in the wake of Supreme Court-mandated prison realignment that sent many state inmates back to local jails or set them free early, a December 9 report from the Public …

Before we head south to navigate the late night street carts and hole-in-the-wall taqueros of Tijuana, let’s check in at one of our most widespread (with at least 14 locations countywide) Diego-Mex institutions: MXN. There …

In business for over ten years, CardifFit, a weight-training gym, has notified its hundreds of members that it will be closing on December 31. The announcement came five months early, according to some members, who …

On December 5, Antonio Gabriel Amador, 18, and Brandon Douglas Martinez, 20, were both sentenced to seven years in state prison for burglary and robbery. In their plea deals, four other felonies were dismissed for …

Stuttgart isn’t as frantically busy as many other cities in Europe and even in Germany can be, but it’s lively and thriving. With luxury auto manufacturing, palaces and wine, the city is a place to …

Del Mar's Joel Tudor is a surfing icon, having won the United States Open of longboarding eight times. But on November 19 in federal court in New York, a onetime business partner, Andrew Blauschild, a …

"Uncle Jerry was from Baton Rouge," says David. He's at the next stool, sipping his ruby-red Zen of Zin ($5). "He'd make his own seasoning and for the holidays, send it out to our family …

The First Amendment is alive and well in San Diego, however, not without the help of attorneys and the courts. On Tuesday, December 10, the city council is expected to approve a $60,000 payout to …

I’ll never forget the time I took a young niece — she was maybe seven or eight — to see Santa Claus. She’d been hearing rumors that there was no such dude, but remained defiant. …

The professional football season is nearing a wrap and the campaign for San Diego mayor is ramping up, time yet again for another push by La Jolla real estate maven, Republican money-man, and U-T San …

Las Vegas resident Eric Russell received a six-month jail sentence and was ordered to pay $21,240 in restitution last week by a San Diego court for dumping between 1500 and 2000 gallons of raw sewage …

Highly-anticipated LA pizza restaurant serves exceptional cuisine, living up to its own hype and then some.

The three filmmakers producing under the name UK Balaam Productions seem to have nothing to do with instigating the November 24 border incident in which over 100 migrants confronted Border Patrol officers. In a long …

Few, if any, breweries have been as polarizing among local beer fans and industry members as Saint Archer Brewery (9550 Distribution Avenue, Miramar). Some see the business — partially owned by, and marketed by, action …

Three music groups have pulled out of SeaWorld Entertainment's Orlando Band, Brew & BBQ festival planned to begin February 1. Rock band Barenaked Ladies canceled its appearance because of the Blackfish documentary, which pillories the …

After all that talk about barbecue without a legitimate smoking pit, meritorious as it may be, this is where shit gets real. Walk into the [Wrangler Family Barbecue]1, where a taxidermied bison overlooks the dining …

Taking into account three passing’s in December 2012, the past 12 months have seen a depressingly large amount of the area’s musicians and associates leave this mortal coil. Here the San Diego Reader pays tribute: …

On December 6, readiness conferences began in the South Bay courthouse at 1:30 p.m. and lasted until 4:00. All of the Sweetwater Union High School District and Southwestern College defendants appeared in court with the …

On Thursday, December 5, at approximately 10:30 in the morning, at a house on National Avenue between South 30th and 31st, a felony drug arrest warrant was carried out by members of a Joint Task …

When castles and California are mentioned in conversation, Hearst Castle, which dominates a stretch of Central Coast skyline, usually comes to mind. You might be surprised to learn that a less opulent but even more …

"The idea for the portraits on paper money came from a Thumbprint Gallery show called C.R.E.A.M. which stood for ‘cash rules everything around me,’ explains Isaac Coronado, better known as Optimus Volts. “I found a …

On December 5 the Ocean Beach Planning Board voted 8-1 in favor of allowing the proposed new CVS Pharmacy to sell liquor; it will be an ABC license Type 21 with certain limitations that relate …

Standard & Poor's has put out a new study questioning the stability of private law schools. Enrollments grew during the recession because young people could not find jobs, so they went to law school. But …

This week, immigrant-rights activist Enrique Morones again praised the U.S. Border Patrol for the restraint they showed during the November 24 confrontation in the Tijuana River channel just east of the shopping malls. "They showed …

"So it's the old Spirit?" That's Jake E. Lee's reply when I tell him Brick by Brick was once the Spirit Club of old. "When they told me we'd be playing in San Diego," he …

On December 7, 1941, an Encinitas vegetable-farming family of Japanese descent had little idea how their lives would be impacted. In February of 1942, San Dieguito High School student Tak Sugimoto’s family received notice of …

In South America, religious icons are as common as sunrise, and shrines are ubiquitous. But a shrine studded with cigarette packs, bottles of beer and decks of playing cards? Welcome to El Chaltén, Argentina – …

The gleaming new terminals at San Diego's Lindbergh Field, seemingly the ultimate in 21st-century transportation technology, bely a troubled air-traffic control system prone to outages and human error that are, in the words of one …

The first Monday after Thanksgiving, December 2, was a big day above Moonlight Beach. That’s when Encinitas local Louie Ortiz with his volunteer crew, Bob Joval and Surfer Mike, came together, as Louie has for …

Not the first time the Besnard Lakes have been to town, but I can say with certainty that it was the best time. The Canadian indie-rock quartet has honed their skills to perform live a …

The Cleveland National Forest Foundation filed suit against the California Department of Transportation this week, seeking to stop construction on a $3.5 billion expansion of Interstate 5, known as the North Coast Corridor Project. The …

In deference to the spirit of Yuletide cheer, let’s kick off our inquiry into the mesmerizing porcine monument known interchangeably as adobada and al pastor with a success story. Tacos El Paisa (2494 Imperial Avenue, …

While the rest of the United States may be up in arms over the Second Amendment or argumentative about the First Amendment, the amendment that is of most concern to the owners and patrons of …

“Loving Man,” with its ecstatic gender-blurring one minute (“I’m A boy/I’m a girl/Who has everything”), bipolar furor at rejection the next, and frustrating refusal to climax musically, sounds dragged in from another project, matching the …

The San Diego Water Authority has a long-running battle with Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides water throughout the southern part of the state. The donnybrook goes to court this month. …

The City of El Cajon will have to defend in federal court a newly adopted ordinance that places tougher regulations on liquor stores. Two liquor-store owners who own and operate three stores in El Cajon …

There’s more for small brewing companies to focus on than simply brewing beer. Once fully fermented and kegged, that beer has to somehow be transported to market. With the exception of a few new brewing …

The one item on the menu that keeps me coming back to the Lion's Share is their deviled eggs. The restaurant sits at the south end of Kettner Boulevard in Downtown's Marina neighborhood. Dark wood …

What can be said of a Christmas season wherein Disney's holiday offering ends with its heroine resorting to senseless physical violence to make her point? Remember the good old days when the plight of Bedford …

After nuclear fallout, rockers from all over trek to Vegas where they hope to claim the crown from the recently deceased king, Elvis. Anti-hero Buddy (Jeffrey Falcon) — dressed in a suit and armed with …

The Vampire Collection is one of the finest Mexican cinema golden era horror releases to date. Germán Robles stars as Count Lavud. He excels as one of cinema’s all-time best vampires. Both El Vampiro and …

A crowd of about 30 gathered at the Julian Town Hall on Wednesday night (December 4) for the second official meeting of the newly formed Back Country Voices, a group that sprung up in opposition …

The Good: the Rep has been chosen as the site for this year’s NNPN National Showcase of New Plays 2013. This is a prestigious deal. Beginning on Friday, December 6, and running through Sunday, 31 …

Scott Peters, the freshman House Democrat from La Jolla who is facing a big-money reelection battle with ex–San Diego City Council Republican Carl DeMaio, has been the beneficiary of an independent expenditure by a Washington …

It took a while, but somebody finally moved into the spot, formerly Lotus Cafe, at 3955 Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest. That somebody is RB Sushi, a North County and College Area stalwart most known for …

For many residents of Golden Hill and South Park, the fight to dissolve their maintenance assessment district was long, hard, and expensive. In 2011, more than four years after filing a complaint against the city, …

Christmas is around the corner, but if a job is at the top of your ‘wish list,’ put down the egg nog and start applying for part-time gigs. According to CareerBuilder’s annual holiday hiring survey, …

There is a growing community comprised of electronics enthusiasts, tinkerers, artists, and even entrepreneurs who gravitate towards Make Magazine, where Do-It-Yourself projects are shared online in a step-by-step format. In addition to a growing internet …

The O.B. Christmas tree has been a much-talked-about tradition for 34 years. If it looks perfect, people complain it's not O.B. enough. But when it gets partially destroyed, as it did several years ago at …

When workers worry about today, they often forget about tomorrow. That’s what appears to be happening today as workers in a revived economy are still reluctant to set aside more money for retirement. In a …

When I originally wrote about Groundswell Brewing Company (6304 Riverdale Street, Grantville), it was in the very early start-up stages. Owner Kevin Rhodes and his crew had their location, a storefront almost perfectly equidistant to …

A 28-year-old woman of meager circumstances gave birth to a child in the Tijuana River canal on Monday, December 2. The woman was first observed in a pool of blood. An informant tipped off police …

These are the most recent band pages in the Local Music Database, including old acts newly added and brand new ensembles. Jaws of Terror is fronted by Leighton Koizumi, who first came to local notice …

Lifeguards in Imperial Beach used an electronic defibrillator to revive a 65-year-old bodyboarder on November 30th who lost consciousness while surfing with friends. The man, who authorities declined to identify, had gone surfing with two …

Employees of the Wendy's at 101 Broadway go on strike at noon Thursday, December 5, along with fast-food workers in 100 cities. But the strike doesn't tell the story. A study by the University of …

Spoilers ahead, folks. I need to see Gravity again before I can really go after my co-critic for his dismissal of a film that actually manages to dramatize the Christian notion of being “born again” …

Giant homebuilder Lennar Corp. was awarded $1 billion yesterday (Dec. 3) by a Florida jury as compensation for defamation and conspiracy to extort money from the company. Expected to pay the $1 billion are developer …

More than 150 bicyclists, hikers, and equestrians heard less than good news Tuesday night, December 3, as the general manager of the Sweetwater Authority explained that a popular trail may be closed by the U.S. …

Pere Ubu can and have been praised for their salvo of dark matter fired from America’s heart (their native Cleveland) starting with their first single “30 Seconds Over Tokyo” in 1975. They bring their Lady …

Write this down: Dinosaur Bones is a band to watch. Stick a little memo on your record collection (or wherever you store music). One day, you will be glad you did. Listen to Shaky Dream, …

Speaking of Germans, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is coming up this weekend at Symphony Hall. The orchestra, conductor Ken-David Masur, and the San Diego Master Chorale are all familiar entities, but what about the soloists? …

“Well you know you can get half-size entrées for half off the normal price during happy hour.”

Interview with Brad Shultz of Cage the Elephant, who recounts the story of his brother eating a fish taco in San Diego and his face “swelled up huge.” Not bad fish, just a clogged salivary gland. His bro “squeezed it out.” Eww, gross, amirate? LOL!

Retail giant Walmart, which is said to have big plans for its San Diego development portfolio, this Monday (Dec. 2) kicked in another $10,000 to the county Republican Party, according to a filing made yesterday …

How did the band X come to establish an annual holiday show in San Diego? This year they play the Belly Up on December 8.

“The open-source movement and creative-commons licensing have been central to my ongoing learning and creative practice,” says computer-music grad student, educator, and do-it-yourself instrument designer Brendan Gaffney. Open-source software and creative-commons licenses offer alternative approaches …

This is the only trail that accesses Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve from the south rim between Black Mountain Road and the West End parking lot off Sorrento Valley Blvd. Before the Camino Ruiz Trailhead was …

When I saw the Divimax release of George Romero’s Day of the Dead on the shelf, I knew that it was something special. More than simply an enhanced widescreen version of the film, this fold-out …

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The only enjoyable part of Out of the Furnace was untangling its plot loopholes on the car ride home. An ex-con (Christian Bale) with the word “fishy” tattooed across his forehead takes a road trip …

“Gah!” I grumbled at my computer screen. “What?” Of course David had to ask. You can’t sit four feet away from someone who’s grumbling at her computer screen and not ask. “Remember those funny cards …

Members of San Diego County's large Chaldean community are clashing with one another in hopes of gaining power, and naming rights, to a Chaldean business community. On November 27, a group of Iraqi Christians known …

For many, it’s monuments in Washington, D.C. that put people in a patriotic mood. But for me, the son of a soldier born on an Army base, the grandson of a Navy man who served …

The award for most political bases covered so far this unusual mayoral election season must go to Michael Gelfand of Terra Vista Management, which has the lucrative city leasehold at Campland on the Bay. The …

Wall Street, with its ties to housing and the auto industry, has prospered during these years following the government bailout via “qualitative easing.” The little people? We have done terribly.

Five former players for the Kansas City Chiefs — all of whom suffered head injuries while playing — filed a lawsuit yesterday (Dec. 3) against the team, charging management was aware of head dangers but …

Once-imprisoned super lawyer Bill Lerach, now ensconced on a lavish La Jolla estate overlooking the Pacific, didn’t come out a winner in the derby to replace fallen Democratic mayor Bob Filner. The onetime Bill Clinton …

Interview with 91X DJ Steve West, here since 1983, playing the “classic alternative” hits when they were new, alternative — not classic. Meanwhile, competitor FM94/9 played the same three hits every two hours on November 25. Bad FM94/9! or giving the people what they want?

Termed-out Republican state senator Mark Wyland, who has his eye on a Board of Equalization seat next year, picked up $5800 last week from tobacco giant Phillip Morris… When it comes to stealing, crime was …

Jewish woman blogs about terminal illness and hope.

As this country rocked like a boat in Galilee’s storms, I spent the whole year not losing my belief in God alone, just doing as I could what had to be done. Laid up, sick, …

Ocean Beach resident Vince Adame and his lawyer Frank Gormlie, who also publishes the OB Rag community news website, drew a crowd of news media this morning, December 3. The day before, district attorney Bonnie …

Dean Gregory Chandler of Oceanside has been disbarred by the State Bar of California. Chandler failed to respond to a notice of disciplinary charges against him. According to the Bar, Chandler committed 234 counts of …

It doesn’t seem possible, but my Jordanian friend insists that he is now married. I look carefully into Awad’s dark eyes, magnified by the thick lenses of his black framed glasses, to see if he’s …

Settling for Mediocrity This is in response to “Lousy Bolts Won’t Bolt” (SD on the QT, November 21) where, once again, Coach McCoy is placing the team’s poor performance on the field into the laps …

When Arne Duncan visited Sweetwater’s Castle Park Middle School in September, it created quite a stir — not because he is the U.S. secretary of education but because there were concerns that the school, and …

They're smoking, upstairs above the Tivoli Bar. Smoking tri-tip, that is. JJ and Ashley, his wife. They're the new proprietors of the grill at the far end of the ancient bar, the one with the …

A film series focused on presenting the history and diverse cultures of Muslims around the world is coming to downtown San Diego. The new Central Library downtown begins this month’s series of Friday Talking Pictures …

A long-empty corner of Point Loma Heights is getting a makeover. A developer named Veritas Urban Properties recently broke ground on the empty lot at the intersection of Voltaire Street and Catalina Boulevard, a site …

After officers witnessed a young man leap from a second-story window of a San Marcos home this summer, deputy Jason Allen asked him what he was doing. “He said, ‘Uh, breaking and entering?’” The deputy …

When they want the finances to materialize their dreams, San Diego’s creative minds turn to Kickstarter, the world’s largest crowdfunding website. Kickstarter hosts a bevy of San Diego-based projects (it’s easy to filter the website’s …

Editorial workers at the politically complicated organization that is KPBS, the public broadcasting arm of San Diego State University, now have themselves a labor union, but the organizing process wasn't without contention, according to copies …

The California Board of Psychology has suspended the license of Robert Edward Brizendine, PhD, for use of methamphetamine. He used it many times over a period of years, according to the hearing. In one case, …

FINDING BIGFOOT. “Hi. I’m Matt Moneymaker. We’re here at a Whoville Town Hall meeting. Show of hands: How many’ve seen a big, brown-haired creature? Cindy-Loo Who. “Me! Me! Only his hair wasn’t brown. It was …

The "center-right" nonprofit advocacy group American Action Network on December 2 unleashed a flurry of online ads slamming local congressman Scott Peters over his support of the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare …

Two weeks ago, I shared news about the latest entrant into Vista, the county’s most brewery-saturated municipality on a per capita basis. That operation goes by the name Booze Brothers Brewing Company (2545 Progress Street, …

A lot of my friends, including/especially those with musical tastes as refined and open-minded as my own, say they’re baffled by my love for the music of Frank Zappa. However, once a discussion starts revealing …

Tijuana water agency CESPT (Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos de Tijuana) will suspend running water to 82 neighborhoods starting early today, Tuesday, December 3 and will renew its services partially on Thursday, December 5. The …

There's a new city-council candidate in town. On November 29, former long-shot mayoral hopeful and self-proclaimed Libertarian Mark Schwartz filed papers to join the race to replace termed-out District 2 councilmember and mayoral candidate Kevin …

If smoky flavor is the sine qua non of barbecued meat, then sauce is the desideratum. Barbecue without sauce is like the ocean without swell: beautiful, but where’s the fun? As much as meat choice, …

José Manuel Rodríguez Lozano, 25, was detained last week in Tijuana’s Zona Norte as a presumed member of a group of kidnappers that had been terrorizing people trying to cross the border. According to Tijuana's …

The Germans are here and ready to rumble in the World Cup of Composers. This group has several contenders who could take it all. This bracket is brimming with rivalries and they’re not friendly. We’re …

Town's Auto Repair at 3752 Park Boulevard in Hillcrest has repaired its last engine, carburetor, and transmission. The business was directly across from the DECA luxury condo development, on the northwest corner of Park Boulevard …

Last weekend I went to a masquerade party at Snooze in Hillcrest. It ended up being a bit of a disaster — not the event itself, as Snooze raised over $2,000 for Feeding America San …

While visiting Florence, I took the opportunity to spend a few nights in a little town about 30 kilometers to the south called Greve in Chianti. The Chianti region, well known for its Chianti Classico …

"Oh, my God," said my friend, staring at her smartphone. "Paul Walker died in a fiery crash." For a split-second, it registered as maybe a joke. Paul Walker? The star of the Fast & Furious …

Gazing downhill at a former jailhouse, being met by a cuttingly chilly wind carrying with it the scent of freshly cut cedar — this was my introduction to Nickel Beer Company (1485 Hollow Glen Road, …

Dr. Rafael Laniado Laborín, head of the multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis clinic at Hospital General de Tijuana, recently told El Mexicano that the clinic diagnoses an average of 1000 TB cases a year, leading Mexico in the …

Neighborhood residents have been wondering what’s up with the empty Cardiff by the Sea Masonic Lodge at 1401Windsor Road. The large building from the 1950s was used for decades as a social gathering spot for …