Tijuana’s famed Caliente Racetrack, which opened in 1916, closed in May of 1993. It is no longer even a training track; the thoroughbreds have departed for California, Arizona, and other parts, as have the men …

Dear Matthew Alice: Any rime you see judges portrayed on TV, they’re always whamming away on their desks with their gavels. I’ve never ever seen a real judge use one. Do real judges ever use …

“First I put up a sign. ‘This Boat Not Abandoned.’ I had to; things had already happened. I’d heard someone look at the mast and say, ‘That’d make a nice flagpole.’ Next day it had been sawed off! “

For more than 60 years, scientists have known that the lifespan of rats could be extended by feeding the animals extremely low-calorie diets. I don’t remember when I first heard this, but I have always …

Dear Matthew Alice: Is it true that the smoke detector, installed by the builders of my condo in '79, has a radioactive element in it? If so, is it strong enough to be harmful in …

In San Diego’s towers we find our final denial of the endless plains and deserts that brought us to this Western shore. We embrace the power of mountains, the connection between man and the firmament.

Dear Matthew: Although I was very interested to read your article dispelling the myth of Dillinger's penis [being on display in a medical museum in Washington], there is another “bit" of anatomy you might check …

It didn't take him long to realize that being a good fire investigator required all his past construction skills along with the patience of Job. You could never rush a fire scene. He learned to …

Monday morning in San Diego, and I’ve been up since five waiting to be delivered to the battered women’s shelter. Not the sort of place I expected to end up in my 70s, although you …

James Robert Mosley was a founding member, vocalist, bass guitarist, and songwriter with Moby Grape, the legendary San Francisco band whose 1967 debut album was filled with the bluesy idealism of that so-called Summer of …

Jeff Eatchel, secretary-treasurer of Restaurant Hotel Workers Local 30, motions to colleagues, “Go all the way up against the corner, all the way. Keep going. All the way up against the wood, go, keep going." …

When we asked about salt-rising bread at the several bakeries in our town (most of whose stock was doughnuts, sweet rolls, and birthday cakes), no one recalled ever having made or eaten this bread.

Oh Great God of Useless Information: On a recent Beavis and Butt-Head show, our two favorite metalheads are at a tractor pull. One of the tractors goes out of control, knocking over outhouses and releasing …

Matt: Maybe you can help me regain my $5. Say you’re on the coast of Baja, there’s no fresh water or medical services around, and you’re stung by a stingray. I’ve been told the best …