Salaries, stock options, corporate jets, limousines, interest-free loans, trust funds.
Thursday, December 27
Uncle Max's lady friends come and go, along with their unsolicited shopping advice and their dubious aid in the lifestyle department. But he always comes to me for counsel on the stuff that really matters …
Name: Michelle Quezada Lives: La Jolla Surfing: La Jolla Shores "In there you have to be fighting for the waves," Michelle says, pointing to the crowded surf at La Jolla Shores. A study of sports …
The Box would like to award its Sportsman of the Year trophy. Regulars will recall that the trophy is a handsome bronze statue depicting a solitary professional athlete standing in an Iowa cornfield, weathered cap …
"My work as Director of the Commission for Inter-Religious Affairs has made for some interesting travels," said Mark Pelavin, addressing the December 16 plenary session of the Union for Reform Judaism biennial convention, held at …
Al Guerra began hosting local-music radio shows 16 years ago at Rock 102 (105.3's predecessor). During the past 3 years, he's been the talent behind Loudspeaker, the all-local two-hour program on 91X. Last week his …
Ron and I were eating a sugary scone and talking about our plans to pork up over the coming holidays. I had decidedly given up, and I planned to get a good amount of bloat …
Mayor Frank Curran (left) and detective William Gore display guns to be dumped at sea, 1968. The mayor had instituted a voluntary gun turn-in program modeled after San Francisco's. SDPD chief O.J. Roed, meanwhile, stated …
Album: Keep Your Head (2007) Artist: Mike Press Label: self-released Where available/price: M-Theory in Mission Hills for $10. Online at iTunes, CDBaby.com, mikepress.com for $10. Songs: 1) Teams 2) Short Supplies 3) Taboo 4) Barista …
I am leaving the town to the invaders: increasingly numerous, mediocre, dirty, badly behaved, shameless tourists. -- Brigitte Bardot W e told our friends we were going for the food, but that was a partial …
"I broke my ankle playing a singing, dancing mermaid on the Disney Cruise Line."
"You want us to become sheep again? There's a reason they're stupid!"
I went to parties at two different bars. I was told there would be food at the first one — Hamilton's Tavern in South Park. When I got there with my friends, however, the food …
Teresa OyosCommunity activist diva I have to go to a classic first. Casablanca , with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, is simply the best movie ever made! It makes me sigh every time I see …
Old Globe impresario Jack O'Brien has sold his Mission Hills mansion, built a house in Connecticut, and is finally retiring after 26 years to spend more time directing Broadway hits and, most likely, collecting more …
Did 2007 finally mark the beginning of the end for KPBS, the public radio and television station pair owned and operated by San Diego State University? With public contributions flat and growing competition from streaming …
The former public relations aide to Alan Bersin during his stormy tenure as superintendent of schools here made some headlines of her own up the road in Fresno in 2007. After leaving the school district …
Each day, Jim Grant drives from Shelter Island to his job at Hammond and Masing General Contractors in Mira Mesa. On Tuesday morning, December 11, as he approached Midway Drive on Rosecrans Street, he saw …
Serene Oakoasis Open Space Preserve covers 397 acres of oak woodland, boulder-studded hillsides, and young chaparral vegetation recovering from the 2003 Cedar Fire. Try visiting during winter, when the air is clean and fresh, or …
What are you reading? "I just finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. A friend gave it to me as a birthday present. I haven't talked to her about it yet because she's in France …
Chicago's Pritzker family is one of the world's richest. There are ten Pritzkers listed in the 2007 Forbes 400, the magazine's compilation of the nation's wealthiest people. Those ten Pritzkers are worth a collective $26.6 …
Belly Up Tavern, Monday, December 31, 9 p.m. 858-481-8140. $38. The Aggrolites say they are not a ska band, but for the life of me they sound like one, minus horns. That's the tipping point …
Title: Sanctimony Address: http://www.sanctimony.net Author: Helena Bristow From: Mission Hills Blogging since: 2002 Post Date: November 29, 2007 Post Title: Behavior Therapy for Creatures My pets are neurotic freaks of nature. My bird, Byron, is …
"The Miramar landfill is set to reach capacity by 2013," says Steve South, president of Edco Disposal, a waste-collection and recycling company headquartered in Lemon Grove. "This means we're going to have to recycle more …
"People ask, 'After Sideways dies down, do you think it will go away?'"
Artist: Calico Horse Song:"Awake in the Clouds" (from myspace.com/calicohorsemusic) Heard By: Charlie Herlevic, downtown I liked it very much; it's a very pretty song. It reminded me of a band called Quix*o*tic. It also reminded …
We are a frazzled, worried country after seven years of every important decision being decided wrong by that "deciderator" and the awful gray eminences whispering in his ears. So do I dare to interpret the …
"Tori [Amos] was screaming and swearing at two girls in the front row," reads a post on the toriforum message board concerning the singer's December 12 concert at Copley Symphony Hall. A YouTube video posted …
The Dago Braves -- rappers Mike "Odoe" Allen, 18, and Terrence "Poodeezy" Brown, 19 -- are cousins who live on the Sycuan reservation near Alpine. "We are both three-quarters black and a quarter Native American," …
After disbanding for a year and a half, Irradio will reform. Front man Dan Dasher remains as the only original member. He chose to finish writing the songs that became Irradio's third album (to be …
Chet Cannon (the Committee): "Well, the strangest thing that has happened to me while onstage is when one night this tequila-swilling female went Vampirella on me. I mean, she actually jumped up onstage, over my …
When K.C. & the Sunshine Band appear at 4th&B on Saturday, December 29, KC's dressing room requirements include a bucket of fried chicken ("fresh"), a large bag of Ruffles ("light"), a deli tray of meat …
If I could host a dinner for five "unforgettable" San Diegans from long ago, one guest would have to be Apolinaria Lorenzana. Called "La Beata" -- "the blessed one" -- she came to Alta California …
PR move of the year The former public relations aide to Alan Bersin during his stormy tenure as superintendent of schools here made some headlines of her own up the road in Fresno in 2007. …
Thursday, December 20
Matthew: The last time my father visited, I learned what seemed a remarkable thing: all three of his best friends in high school were Jewish. He grew up in Poughkeepsie, an hour from New York …
When Ike Turner died at his San Marcos home on the morning of December 12, his band was in the next room setting up to play. It was to be a surprise gig, but Ike …
I took this girl out on a few dates and things seemed to go really well. And, it got to that point where you aren't sure if you're a couple or not. All indications were …
Every new punk band spawns its own subgenre or sub-subgenre. There's Southern California Whine Punk, popularized by the vocal stylings of Tom DeLonge from blink-182. There's Happy Poppy Whine Punk, Uplifting Punk, Emo-Crossed Punk, the …
I won't bore you with why I was in the hospital yet again, but I will tell you I was pretty much kicked out around sundown on a freezing, raining December night. I was given …
Name: Pete Lewis Surfing: Windansea Home: Pacific Beach At 10:20 a.m., the high tide began backing off at Windansea. http://www.surfline.com reported the water temperature at 54 degrees and warned of poor water quality. Waves were …
Steven Ybarra is a Texas-born Carlsbad resident who began studying music when he was three. He was the front man for 34Below, which released five CDs and toured nearly every state in the country. After …
Remember when the Patriots were the baddest team in the NFL? They'd come to your town, trample small children on their way to the gridiron, run up the score until it was 63 to 9, …
"Are you headed to Ballroom 20?" I asked a woman as she strode through the Convention Center foyer. She eyed me, assessing. "What's in Ballroom 20?" "A Muslim woman is addressing a delegation of Jews." …
Josephina Torres Seventh grader, Palm Anime and Manga Club The three DVDs I want for Christmas include Whisper of the Heart because it's a story about a young girl who falls in love and learns …
Boulder-hop for miles to reach one of the tallest waterfalls in Southern California. The hike up Hot Spring Canyon is arguably the most beautiful canyon trek in the Santa Ana Mountains, and supremely arduous to …
Abraham Lincoln was born on May 6, 1954, to a poor family of Central California date farmers. Baby Abraham came out bald as a spoon except for a full beard. His first photographs, grainy black-and-whites, …
"Mars has a lot of lava tubes from when it was geologically active. You can go in there, spray plastic on the walls to make it airtight, and you've got a house," says Gerry Williams, …
Hold on to your checkbook: an employee of the City-owned San Diego Convention Center is emailing local groups asking for participants to join a new Convention Center Expansion Task Force to help drum up public …
San Diego school board member Mitz Lee, who in June filed papers declaring her intent to run next year for the District 5 city council seat being vacated by termed-out Brian Maienschein, has dropped out …
The definition of "easy to get to" changes depending on what side of the border you're on. In the United States, if you had to drive on a rutted dirt road to get to someplace, …
On November 14 of last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission, after probing the City of San Diego's deliberate concealment of ugly financial facts in its bond filings, concluded that "The City, through its officials, …
"Baa-becue, buddy, baa-becue. People flock to the joint. That's what I herd."
What's the name of your book? "Moon Pies and Movie Stars" Tell me about it. "It's about the owner of a six-lane bowling alley in Devine, Texas, and she spots her runaway daughter on a …
Phil Bateman holds a yardstick up to his bumper to show off the clearance of his low-rider, 1959. The previous year, San Diego hosted its first Custom and Hot Rod Show in Balboa Park. About …
Artist: Di Nigunim Song: "Fascist Degradation (demo)" ( from myspace.com/dernigunim) Heard By: Hunter, South Park Very interesting band. They sound like Gogol Bordello. They're very unusual. They were more gypsy, but not like Gipsy Kings …
Love looks forward hate looks back, anxiety has eyes all over its head. -- Mignon McLaughlin Everything had been going so well. The Seattle sky was uncommonly clear for December. The overall atmosphere was festive …
"I mean, you put one drop in your mouth and it explodes... Our wines are identifiable!"
When I was a kid my mom complained about Christmas starting earlier each year. It wasn't because she was Jewish. We had a Christmas tree and a menorah. I think she felt that it was …
2008 is almost upon us, and the Kelly household is going to party. And party for many reasons: new babies, new engagements, newlyweds, and new friends. We haven't thrown a New Year's Eve bash in …
In probably every English-speaking big city in the world, there's a Hotel Pickwick -- a quaintly faux-Victorian (yet divey) one-star habitation, usually located near a major bus or train station. San Diego's Pickwick just passed …
Thirty Years Ago DENISE: How about going cruising sometime on ATCs?! We can go pick up Mike & Scott. I can dig it!! (Crown Point) Sue. GIRL ON BICYCLE: We shared a smile on 42nd …
Against Me! played 91X's "Nightmare Before Xmas" concert at Cox Arena. Uniformed Marines were at the December 9 show to collect donations for the Toys for Tots campaign. "[Against Me! front man Tom Gabel] told …
Drummer Sharie Hall, 31, says she and her three bandmates in Unloaded share 29 years of "clean time." They all met in recovery and have been a band for two years. She admits they have …
San Diego fans of international underground rock were excited for the December 5 Ché Café performance by Damo Suzuki. The Japanese singer is best known as vocalist for German prog group Can, which set the …
James Brown died about one year ago, on Christmas day. Greyboy Allstars saxophonist/singer Karl Denson played with Brown five years ago -- 12/21/02 -- when Brown made a surprise appearance at Madison Square Garden with …
Belly Up Tavern, Thursday, December 20, 8 p.m. 858-481-8140. $17. Jackson Browne says they're one of his favorite bands, and he compares their vocal harmonies to Crosby, Stills, and Nash -- an appropriate choice, because …
Thursday, December 13
“My biggest fashion faux pas was wearing gauchos to work every day.”
Thirty Years Ago Tom Gade stood up and told the assembly that he had voted against critical portions of Mayor Wilson's policy and then proceeded to point out the problems of such a growth strategy. …
"I hope it's a long lunch, 'cause I have a long list of things to cover with Dubya."
Underfoot in the Christmas rush: Margot at the Wedding is Noah Baumbach's somewhat disappointing follow-up to The Squid and the Whale, though maybe not so disappointing if proper heed had been taken of his slovenly …
Kirsten ElmsScreenwriter As a writer on strike and having just seen No Country for Old Men -- I'm drawn to another Coens' film -- Barton Fink -- about a writer in Hollywood. I love the …
"One of the reasons I've been able to pay my rent is a procedure called 'neck-angle reset,'" says Bill Meyer. "That's removing the neck from the guitar and changing the angle that the neck is …
"It's cool if you're a punk rocker and you have to walk with a cane, but if you're just doing it for looks, like the Droogs from Clockwork Orange, it's kind of played out." Shot …
Album: What Say You (2007) Artist: Blue Sky Blonde Label: Olive Drive Records Where available/price: http://www.cdBaby.com, http://myspace.com/blueskyblondeband for $12. iTunes for 99 cents per downloaded song. Songs: 1) Hell If I Know 2) Beside Myself …
Joe Lodico Lives: La Jolla/UTC Surfing: Pump House, Pacific Beach Last week's big swell reversed almost all aspects of the San Diego surfing scene; tourists and kooks fled the water and left the waves to …
Artist: The Experiments Song: "Smells like Christmas Spirit" (from the EP Smells like Christmas Spirit) Heard By: Alex Chavez, South Bay It had a Social Distortion--type feel. The whole holiday thing made it seem just …
Oak leaves fluttering in the sunlight, pine needles soughing in the breeze, gray squirrels scurrying, and pungent-sweet fragrances in the air. These dependable pre-Cedar-fire experiences are now a work-in-progress. The rate and extent of postfire …
Some leaves have fallen off some trees, temperatures have sunk below 50 degrees, and Fashion Valley Mall is open an extra hour in the evenings. This means it's Christmastime, people. I'm getting a fast start …
St. Dunstan's — the building was dedicated in 1969 — is a church on the cusp. If you look back and up as you pass through the front door, you behold a row of exquisitely …
"The secret police? What is this, California?"
Two years ago, around this time, I built a time machine from a Dynamo clothes dryer and sent an orange housecat to the past. To allay any of your concerns, the cat was not seriously …
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. -- English proverb I was yanked into consciousness -- adrenaline tensed my muscles for fight or flight, and my heart was pumping fast, as though I'd …
A couple weeks ago I missed several parties because I was sick. One guy called from Mira Mesa when he noticed his neighbor was having a party. Glad I missed that -- there was a …
Flying in airplanes used to be one of my greatest delights. Taking off and landing were my favorite parts (only later did I learn they were the most critical parts of the flight). I would …
It was a dark and stormy night. (Well, it was. ) And that night, as the rain streamed down and sideways onto Third Avenue, forming a shin-deep pond at the corner, we were sipping a …
My earliest Christmas-tree memories are not of candy canes or twinkling lights, but of cold knuckles and snow boots. Always, in the first week of December, our family would tromp out through the early-winter cold …
The Escondido recording studio that played a role in the careers of New Found Glory, Unwritten Law, blink-182, and Ike Turner closed its doors last month. In 1989, New Yorker Don Lithgow founded DML Studios …
"'Canes in San Diego's Mission Beach is right on the boardwalk." So begins the SD entry in a Band of Horses "Road Log" story in the last issue of Filter magazine. "It's a fairly disgusting …
Liar's Club regulars and employees found the Mission Beach bar and restaurant closed on November 21. A liquor-license-suspension notice was posted on the front of the building. A state Alcohol Beverage Control board (ABC) spokesman …
Hundreds of Placebo fans submitted video of themselves lip-synching to the band's cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill." The band made a video consisting of fan-made clips. Local singer/songwriter Roberta Hofer's work was …
Nearly 22 years ago -- on 12/15/85, the Dead Kennedys played one of their final shows with original singer Jello Biafra at downtown's California Theatre. As the set wrapped up, fans tore up the seats …
Off the Ground, by Amy Chini and Tom Zohar New Village Arts Theatre Christmas Is Comin' Uptown, Common Ground Theatre, WorldBeat Center Kristianne Kurner's set previews Off the Ground before the actors arrive. It's Christmas …
What are you currently reading? "I mostly read textbooks because I'm a business student. I just finished Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi. Tell me …
Charles Brandes, 64, and Warren Buffett, 77, have a lot in common. They both have made fortunes by following the "value" investing concept. It was taught to them by the same person: Benjamin Graham, along …
"You would be smarter to look to South America than to most parts of the United States."
You decide to take the trolley to Tijuana. The day goes well, and you're ready to start homeward. Before boarding the Blue Line, a cup of coffee at the McDonald's Trolley Station in San Ysidro …
Los Angeles Democratic mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has hired Jennifer LeSar, a close friend of San Diego city councilwoman Toni Atkins, to "orchestrate development" of what a news release calls a "visionary plan" to redevelop Central …
Corky Carroll at the 1966 World Surfing Championship contest in O.B. (Australia's Nat Young won.) In recognition of the contest, the mayor proclaimed it "World Surfing Week," and the city council forked over $1495 for …
Struggling liberal radio network Air America, thrown off KLSD-AM here last month, is making a San Diego comeback of sorts. Come February 23, the first Air America Radio Cruise is set to depart from downtown's …
It's hard to talk to blues singer Janiva Magness and not bring up the rub board. "It's custom made," she says. "The patent is owned by a woman from New Orleans." Magness tells me where …
La Jollan Mark Fabiani, who once worked for the late L.A. mayor Tom Bradley and Vice President Al Gore, has in recent times been toiling for Republican mega-millionaire Alex Spanos in a seemingly never-ending quest …
Back in the mid-'90s, Imperial Teen charmed critics and indie audiences with their simple, hook-filled songs and friendly stage presence. The band members, Roddy Bottum, Will Schwartz, Lynn Perko, and Jone Stebbins, traded instruments and …
Thursday, December 6
Though flanked by Jack in the Box and, farther up the street, a Denny's, the diner stands out as being a good after-party, post-drinking weekend hangout...or, at the very least, a place to park yourself …
RTX, an Orange County grindcore/speed-metal band, had a little trouble after they played Scolari's Office November 23. "We had just gotten off a tour," says RTX bassist Kurt Midness, "and our agent told us about …
Album: Hi-Altitude (2007) Artist: The Hi-Lites Label: self-released Where available/price: Online at hilitesgoska.comfor $10. Songs: 1) Time Has Come 2) Best of Your Abilities 3) Where I'm Coming From 4) Folk Tune 5) Nefertiti 6) …
If their powers are fully on display, it's only because, paradoxically, their powers are held partly in reserve.
"I had to empty the honey buckets twice a day. That job was worth five bad jobs."
Sweet 15 (Quinceañera), by Rick Najera San Diego Repertory Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, downtown Directed by Sam Woodhouse; cast: Rick Najera, Alma Martinez, Nina Brissey, Yvonne Delarosa, Jose Yenque, Carlo D'Amore, Fernando Vega; scenic design, …
This past 90 days or so have been the worst of my life. Even 14 months of cancer treatment in '86 and '87 weren't worse. Since late August, I've been either hospitalized or drunk in …
Name: Cliff Crenshaw Lives: Santee Surfing: Ocean Beach pier The winter surf season is here. More boots and hoods appear on the beach and bob in the rolling waters. Only dedicated beginners and lifelong enthusiasts …
Here's the setup... I played duplicate bridge in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1966. Games were played in the Tiki Cove, otherwise known as the basement of the Mecca Bar. There were 20 to 30 regulars seething, …
Lynn WhitehouseSupervisor history/information/interlibrary loan-it, San Diego Public Library I'd like to suggest a DVD that ties with our One Book One San Diego campaign for Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One …
Jenna Age: 17 Occupation: Barista Lives: Normal Heights Jenna I try not to speak with slang. I know raver slang; I used to be one. There's " plurr ": "Peace, love, unity, respect and responsibility." …
A simple shack fashioned of rock, cement, and corrugated metal might be unremarkable anywhere else, but in the midst of thousands of acres of wild desert, it becomes a significant point of interest. The semi-rugged …
At ten years old I was in a serious Lawrence of Arabia phase. For Christmas I drew out what I wanted in crayon and left the illustrations around the house: me, in long flowing robes …
Artist: Retrolust Song: "Superstarrr" (from the CD Wired) Heard By: Thorin Tobiassen, College Area I was excited about the intro; It sort of reminded me of older Nine Inch Nails. The content of the lyrics …
What's your latest book? Presidential Trivia: The Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles, and Firsts of Our American Presidents." Why did you write it? "The fun for me is knocking on the door of my biblical threescore …
Shnops and Sheriff Don Amos at Lucky Waller Park in National City, 1974. San Diego County sheriffs have employed dogs for 40 years. The San Diego Police Department's K-9 unit -- the largest in the …
"The Salton City 500 began in 1961 and ran for ten years," says Scott B. Davis. The 500-mile boat race was held on a triangular course in the Salton Sea, a 35-mile-by-15-mile saltwater lake located …
Turkey, n. A large bird whose flesh when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude. Incidentally, it is pretty good eating. -- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary An …
"Say hi to Mr. Frog. I'm a self-taught cabdriver and puppeteer and Clown."
"I don't know if you're a visitor," said the woman who approached me, "but I saw you taking pictures and I thought you might like to know the story of the crucifix at the front …
For author Marcel Proust, the taste of a madeleine, a beloved pastry of childhood, evoked nostalgic memories that subsequently unleashed thousands of pages of prose upon the literary public. Most of us don't get quite …
My stepdad was at a meeting and my mom called to ask what I was doing. I told her I was going to crash the reception of an Indian wedding. My mom loves weddings -- …
After 14 years and approximately 130 releases by bands such as the Locust, GoGoGo Airheart, and the Rapture, GSL Records founder Sonny Kay and his partner Omar Rodriguez announced in October that they were calling …
"My boyfriend, Marine captain David T. Russell, just got sent to Iraq for the third time," says singer/songwriter Jenn Grinels. "There are a couple of songs on the new album that deal with his past …
"Our shows include a band, vaudeville, black-light puppets, aerialists, flame-handlers, jugglers, magic, sideshow performers, and just about anything else you can think of," says Glenn Allen, music director for the Technomania Circus. While putting together …
San Diego's most publicized band at the moment admits it doesn't have much of a hometown buzz. "We're still building our name," says guitarist John Moreaux of the Material, an emo band often compared to …
The Stereotypes are down to a trio, but the loss of three members hasn't slowed them down. Built around singer John Finkbiner, multi-instrumentalist/producer Mike Kamoo, and bassist Tim Hines, the group recently lost guitarist Dante …
Title: Married...Without Children Address: lifeafterbiola.com Author: Becka From: Santee Blogging since: February 2004 Post Date: October 26, 2007 Post Title: Discovering Ensenada Sooo...Mexico. We took a shuttle out of San Diego. Mexico is a laid-back …
A couple of years ago I took up lettering. Once a week I would spend a few hours copying letters, mainly the italic form. I became fairly proficient, but life interfered with learning any other …
Thirty Years Ago While San Diego County has grown sharply, this desert community of 1200 people has stood still. Today Borrego Springs has one auto mechanic, one air-conditioning expert, one plumber, one electrician. If a …
The music that Ahmad Jamal was making in the early 1970s spoke of kinder days ahead. Jamal's jazz at that time was more cushion than intellect. Things were looking up: a bloody decade of civil …
San Francisco has been a big town for Britpop since before they called it Britpop. I don't know why; my guess is that it has something to do with the fog. Ordinarily, this simply means …
Back in June, a team of San Diego State mechanical engineering students and their professor placed 6th out of 17 universities in the exclusive Challenge X vehicle design competition, cosponsored by General Motors and the …