Bobby looks like a black Labrador, except that his ears stand upright, forming two stiff peaks. They're quivering now, as Bobby crouches, ready to lunge at me. He's not making a sound, but his body …

The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece by Jonathan Harr. Random House, 2005; $24.95; 250 pages. FROM THE DUST JACKET: An Italian village on a hilltop near the Adriatic coast, a decaying palazzo …

"Do you ever watch Arrested Development?" John asks. "No," I answer. This is where most conversations with me go. When the "How have you been doing?" greetings are over and we've stared at our mimosa …

Fearless minds climb soonest into crowns. -- William Shakespeare 'What if they laugh at me? Or even worse -- what if they don't laugh at all? I swear to God, if I say something I …

Of local recording artists, not Switchfoot, Jason Mraz, or Louis XIV get the most radio airplay. For two years, Steve Poltz has gotten more radio exposure than anyone. His commercial jingle ("Minutes away, miles apart...take …

"To this day, people come up and say, 'I heard you wrecked the Rock [105.3] van,'" says James Welch. That's a rumor, but Welch lost his job at the station almost five years ago subsequent …

John (not his real name) worked for Staff Pro from the mid to late '90s. "My favorite place to work was at Hospitality Point," he says. "During the Summer Pops, there was gnarly amounts of …

"It turns out [my father has] been living in San Diego, and he even knows about the band," says Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor. He says his mother never told him who his father was. "My …

Thirty-two years ago today (11/17/73), Tom Waits played at Folk Arts Rare Records, then located in Hillcrest at 3743 Fifth Avenue. "He did our open-mike nights back when he was still at Hilltop High," says …

'Let's call Mel. Let's see if she'll come down," people said. "I don't want to wake her up," they said. "It's awfully early. And, Sunday. She probably wants to sleep in, but it'd be cool …

"Most people have no idea what the Orthodox Church is. When I joined the church, my [Protestant] family was perplexed. They thought I had joined the Catholic Church, and Protestants are Rome-a-phobic," said David Hunt. …

I order the gumbo. And just to be sure I fill ye olde gut, a side of sweet potato fries.

In August of last year, San Diego stock swindler Ronald D. Brouillette Jr. -- trying to get sprung from jail -- told a judge that he had a bundle of bucks stashed offshore. It wasn't …

Business as usual In the campaign's closing days, some interesting names appeared on the donor list of San Diego's Lincoln Club, a local GOP group that backs pro-business Republicans, including mayor-elect Jerry Sanders and city …

If you want to have a toil-free T-Day turkey (or ham, filet mignon, whatever), numerous restaurants will cook your Thanksgiving dinner for you -- to eat in, or, increasingly, take home. This year's list is …

On a clear late autumn or winter day atop Corte Madera Mountain, you can see forever -- or at least as far as Santa Catalina and San Clemente islands to the west, and the mile-high …

Fresno, California, is a Class B drive-through town. Class A drive-through towns are located on an interstate highway. Think Gallup, New Mexico. Gallup, and all other cities in the Class A category, offer the innocent …

'While you're in front of my camera I love you, you're the most important person in the universe; it's a bit like being an uptown hooker," says photographer Mick Rock. "I can overcome any difficulties. …

“Stalin loved one of the Georgian varietals. He had to have it with dinner.”

Movies reviewed this week: Bee Season, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Pride and Prejudice, and Walk the Line

Thirty Years Ago WANTED: Women who worked in or led liberation movement, to help me in a liberation movement for myself, as I can't alone. I am hypnosis-controlled, trying to hold reversed. -- CLASSIFIEDS, November …

Dear Matthew Alice: What's up with the musicians I occasionally see under the bridge over Friars Road at the end of Mission Center Road? I don't get it, are the acoustics that great there or …

This past summer I went to a party at San Elijo State Beach campground in Cardiff. I was told you have to reserve sites six months in advance there. The parking lot was full, so …

The Voice of San Diego is the cleanest play I have ever participated in. Pure news reporting. No sponsor, no advertising, no boardmembers who want to dictate anything to anybody. — Neil Morgan, senior editor, …

Slovenes Are Americans I've always found it amazing that Slovenia, a tiny alpine country with a population the size of greater Milwaukee, could support so many television and radio stations. According to a recent count, …

"I put on too many pounds this October," moaned longtime pal Bernice. "Most of the calories were from beer, I'm afraid," she added. "The Oktoberfests killed me." Bernice and her husband Frank are avid Oktoberfest …