He had a passion to do well. She had a passion to do good. Together, they touted his investment scheme, which bilked a thousand investors of $80 million. He has confessed to planning and running …

“It was nice to see she’s human.”

In My Parlor This article comes to you sponsored by plain M&M's, several 20 ounce Cokes, and a large bag of Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Combos. How do you introduce yourself to the Internet? With a …

Thirty Years Ago But stories about Lifeguard School sounded pretty scary. She heard they made guard candidates jump off the Clam, 35 feet into a shallow surge -- if you timed it right. Thirty-five feet …

"We got our name because we're all getting a little bit older, and it's about time to send us off to the glue factory," jokes Greg Lowther, 40-year-old drummer for Glue Factory. "We're not hiding …

When the Beach Boys play Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay on Sunday, June 5, the venue isn't allowed to report box-office totals "unless the concert is a complete sellout," whereupon "it must be reported to …

Two people have talked to me about record producer Phil Spector's affiliation with guns. A photographer who once took photos of John Lennon (and sold me an autographed Lennon album) told me a story 13 …

The Locust recently posted on their website: "Clear Channel is still dead set in [our] rifle sites [sic].... [We] call for a boycott and follow up...by not playing Clear Channel shows, no matter how incredible …

"We sold around 350,000 albums [worldwide]." Sprung Monkey drummer and co-founder Ernie Longoria is proud of his band's track record. "We cracked the top 20 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart. We got MTV play." Active …

Sacked Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie surprised some last month by turning up on the New England Patriots' team roster for a one-year "backup" gig. The audience at the Medford, Massachusetts, Music for Middlesex III concert …

"They haven't died out, but they ain't got no work," says singer Dottie Whitsett. "A lot of the old blues people don't try and do blues no more. I can't find them." Whitsett has performed …

Noah Gabriel plays Paul McCartney's "Blackbird" at the Sunday market in San Diego's old Chinatown (at Third and J). A year and a half ago, he was a singing star in China...well, around Shanghai, anyway. …

I missed a couple of Cinco de Mayo parties because of a migraine headache. A few weeks before that, I missed some parties I didn't know were going on until after the fact. On April …

You don't have to be a "person of influence" to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me. -- Scott Adams …

I kick my feet up on my coffee table. My reclined position affords me an unusual view. On the expanse of white ceiling the contrast of a small black dot catches my eye. The dot …

For much of the past century, Paramount Ranch has served the needs of an entertainment industry always hungry for rustic outdoor scenery. Since 1980, however, the core of this property has been in the hands …

The clerk in downtown's divorce court says that the 1993 case of former police chief, now mayoral candidate, Jerry Sanders and his ex-wife Kerrill is under seal and not available for public inspection. In March, …

At close to midnight during the April 15 meeting of the San Diego City Council's consideration of the Paseo de Mission Hills project, District Seven representative Jim Madaffer observed that moments earlier he had received …

Plop! It's not a baseball dropping into a mitt. It's a company falling into Wall Street's doghouse. Still another corporation that shelled out bucks to have its name on a pro-sports stadium has taken a …

As every good chef — and good mom — knows, we eat with our eyes. Food is both a visual art and the artful combination of flavors. In traditional sushi, the visuals are vital. Sushi …

“I was distressed to find out that he was so close to the whole Copley organization, and here I was working for them. I came into a situation where I was really walking on eggs.”

My friend Sasha is type A; she always has her ducks in a row. She's been married for several years now and is thinking of starting a family. She's read a slew of books on …

Guitar: An American Life by Tim Brookes. Grove Atlantic Press; May 2005; 339 pages; $24. Audio book version Blackstone Audio. FROM THE DUST JACKET: "Shortly before his 50th birthday, baggage handlers destroyed Tim Brookes's guitar, …

At 15, violinist Eugene Ugorski has performed with over 65 orchestras, most recently in Moscow, where he played a Tchaikovsky concerto. "It was a very important concert," says Ugorski, because it fell on May 9, …

Regulars may recall an April 7 column about Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder Alex Sanchez. Sanchez, 28, was the first major league ballplayer to be suspended under Major League Baseball's steroid-policy-of-the-month; in this instance, the …

“There are no ways of knowing that kids aren’t doing these things. This is a preemptive strike.”

"There is a renewal of interest in the Reformed faith from people who have grown weary of the subjectivity of the broad evangelical faith," said Pastor Stephen Donovan. "In the first 45 years of our …

“The secret to doing well here is don’t come looking for something.”

Movies reviewed this week: Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Matthew: While chucking my spent chewing gum into a major retailer's landscaping, I got to wondering. Are there any insects or animals that make use of it? For food or nest building or what? What …

Hello: What does the "M" in M-16 stand for? -- Mira Fae Sobson, UCLA Remember, Mira, we're dealing here with the U.S. Army. Mostly a no-frills, no-imagination outfit that runs on codes and letters and …

Hey Matt: I got this email today and am wondering if it is true. Before everyone with a computer receives this, and I start hearing people in taverns repeating it, what's it worth? "In the …