We arrived at the Valley of Fire’s south rim late morning. An hour northeast of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, the terrain turned abruptly into deep red sandstone hills. This red rock beauty is …

Located near the tip of the Izu peninsula, this sleepy waterfront town is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Japan’s big city life. Shimoda was of central importance during the 1850s, …

I enjoyed three glorious months in Parikia, on the Cycladic island of Paros, home to poets, writers, artists and those in love with a peaceful lifestyle. You can study art at the Aegean Center for …

Cake kicked off their Street Scene set Friday night with the song "Frank Sinatra." There was unexpected feedback and several on-stage technical difficulties during the number. Singer John McCrea, vibraslap in hand, said, “We’re Cake …

Sunday, August 30th, at approximately 10 a.m., a man in an early model Geo driving eastbound on Market Street turned onto Fifth Avenue at a high rate of speed and lost control of his vehicle. …

Residents on Sloane Canyon Road in Jamul spent several tense hours on Friday, August 28, waiting as fire crews worked feverishly to extinguish a brush fire burning at the rural dirt road’s only entrance and …

Stella Garcia walks to work every morning in Imperial Beach, and for the third Thursday in a row, a home’s lawn sprinklers have kept her off the sidewalk. “I have to walk in the middle …

August 28, Friday evening, at approximately 8:20 p.m. two Critical Mass bicyclists collided near the corner of University Avenue and Centre Street. One cyclist was said to be bleeding from his ear. They reportedly were …

What happened to the days when people used to call you to chat on the phone? Our technologically advanced world is slowly making the dating scene a place of passive safety where men and women …

Everything Changes is the third CD from Mesa, Arizona, trio Audra and their first since leaving Projekt Records. The production on this CD was a collaborative effort between Audra's Helm brothers and producer Robb Vallier. …

San Diego police were called to the Dream Girls Cabaret Wednesday night, August 26, after a disturbance involving customers who left the establishment without paying their bill. According to an SDPD report, two units were …

Whoever said politics is the enemy of imagination might need to spend a few days in San Diego County. A fundraiser for congressional candidate Francine Busby on June 26 ended in two arrests -- battery …

In an effort to avoid the dreadful airport waiting game on Sunday, August 23, I had a temporary detour to a rave at Spanish Landing Park. It was about 6 p.m. I had expected to …

Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña is concerned about the North Pacific Gyre, an island of plastic debris floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Saldaña's also concerned about the plastic caps from soda and water bottles …

The first of many signs banning vehicles for sale along a busy street recently went up, addressing a neighborhood nuisance long ago dubbed the Rancho Bernardo “Mile of Cars.” Starting September 5, those who leave …

South of the border, where electrical wire and telephone lines are routinely stolen for their copper content, a new source of metallic wealth has been tapped: the U.S.-made border fence. This week, more than one …

On Wednesday, August 26, Caltrans activated the meters that allow traffic onto to I-805 north from Telegraph Canyon Road. The stoplights have been in place for some time now, but it was not until this …

Nestled on the eastern slopes of the Pichincha Volcano lies Quito, Ecuador’s mountainous capital city. This Andean jewel is rich in culture, history and life, making it a can’t-miss destination for South America-bound travelers. Getting …

When visiting Crete, rent a car and drive to rustic Hotel Eva Marina, about an hour southwest of Heraklion Airport. Nine hundred fifty yards from Matala Beach, it features high-speed internet, an inviting pool, bar …

I’ve heard Central Texan BBQ restaurant, 10500 Merritt Street, Castroville, referred to as a “vegetarian’s nightmare.” If you do have any carnivorous tendencies, they serve the best smoked turkey and brisket I’ve ever had. Meats …

I met a national park ranger who had been traveling the States the past two years, national park to national park. I jumped on the opportunity. “So what is your favorite park so far?” No …

Several months ago, when the state was talking about cutbacks in school funding for the coming year, the Cardiff School District indicated it might attempt to put to a vote the notion of a parcel …

Strolling through the historic town of San Juan Bautista, nestled at the foot of the Gabilan Mountains, I feel like I’m walking through the pages of a history book. Adobe structures dating to the 1700s …

Upon arriving in Delhi, India, I was approached innumerable times by ragged-looking children begging for food and money or aggressively hawking items, even as I sat in the backseat of the rickshaw taxi. I discovered …

A minor traffic accident with no injuries that occurred in La Jolla left a traffic police officer working on an accident report slightly confused. On Tuesday, August 25, just before 3:45 p.m., an ambulance traveling …

Whether you’re into spending the day fishing off the pier, grabbing chili fries at the hot dog stand, or relaxing over a cocktail followed by lunch or dinner at Fisherman’s Restaurant, San Clemente Pier has …

As I write this, Transformers 2 has just finished taking in over $200 million in five days. One of the main characters in that film is a robot who disguises himself as a 2009 Chevy …

SDSU associate professor of psychology Jean Twenge polled 1068 college students on August 25 and found out something most adults have known since the creation of Britney Spears: not only are they narcissistic and attention-seekers, …

The question that San Marcos residents ask Mayor Jim Desmond most often: What's going on with the unfinished Marriott hotel project? The project, on the corner of Las Posas Road and Los Vallecitos Boulevard, has …

Jennifer “Spags” Spingola and her blue violin have been around the world. The flying V, six-string electric violin was made for her nine years ago by Wood Violins of New York. “It’s one of a …

“I heard about the Tenori-On when it was being test-marketed in the U.K. in 2007,” says Eric Van der Wyk, aka King Tet, reportedly the ninth person in the U.S. to obtain the experimental Japanese …

What are you reading? “The Art Of War, by Sun Tzu. I was joining the Marines, and I was in here for a book on the history of the Marines. I saw The Art Of …

Gregory Page, one of San Diego’s most prolific singer-songwriters, says he plans to stay put even as many artists leave town for New York and L.A. “It seems that we have an exodus. If everybody …

When Memphis session player and producer Jim Dickinson passed away at age 67 from heart complications on Saturday, August 15, few music fans may have realized how vast his résumé was — one that included …

Artist: Tiawnee feat. Mr. SplifSong: “School Girl Crush” (from the CD Young Love)Heard By: William, San Diego Personally, I can respect hip-hop and rap music, but that song didn’t really have a lot of composition …

Thirty Years AgoI miss Duncan Shepherd and I’ll tell you how much. I was thinking about this as I was ironing the other day, and if I ever have a boy I would not hesitate …

Back in 1998, then–Padres majority owner John Moores promised that if taxpayers would pour more than $300 million into a ballpark, he would produce teams that were competitive. Maybe he meant that he could produce …

Sitting on a park bench at Prescott Promenade on a hot July afternoon, John stares at a brawny tattooed man in his 50s smoking a cigarette under a “No Smoking” sign. “Who knows what this …

A Punch, No Pipe Q-Ball is full of sh** with his story about getting hit from behind by a steel pipe at the 4th&B show on August 8, 2009 (“Rack ’Em,” “Blurt,” August 20). I …

When it came to raising and spending campaign money, it was a busy first half of 2009 for termed-out Democratic assemblywoman Lori Saldaña. She spent the $11,898 remaining in her 2008 reelection kitty on a …

Ex–Democratic state senator Steve Peace, now working for ex–Padres owner John Moores, gave $6500 last week to the campaign fund of Attorney General Jerry Brown, expected to run for governor next year. On July 29, …

Upon his exit from the state Assembly last year, termed-out ex–GOP leader George Plescia of Del Mar bagged a lucrative four-year job as a member of the seven-member Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. One of five …

On Friday, August 21, the Church Council for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to “commit itself to finding a way for people in...publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders …

The easygoing descent of the South Fork Trail doesn’t take much effort. You simply put one foot in front of the other and let gravity do the rest. The well-graded trail descends (or ascends if …

I ran into Nick Simmons, the son of Kiss bassist Gene, at Comic-Con. I told him I caught the episode of his reality show on which he sang. I told him he had a good …

"Do you think there are 1000 active winkers in the country?” I’m speaking to Rick Tucker, 54, collector, historian, webmaster, and former pairs champion of the North American Tiddlywinks Association (NATwA). Said group is holding …

Recipe by Jason Knibb, executive chef, Nine-Ten Restaurant I got into cooking because I used to surf in the day and needed a night job. One day, a friend of mine asked me to fill …

"Is there a Résumés for Dummies?” asked my nephew Freddy. “I’ve been looking for a job for two months with only one callback.” I didn’t have a book for him, but I did have a …

Language...has created the word “loneliness” to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone. — Paul Johannes Tillich As I stood to one …

“Hotel restaurant” used to be shorthand for “What’s that slop you’re eating?” — back in the era of moldy “colonial” inns and all-one-mold “family” chains (remember Howard Johnson’s Motor Inns?). But not now, and certainly …

Do I follow the crowd? Hell, yes. This one, anyway. It’s Sunday afternoon, down at Quivira yacht basin. I’ve been wandering past boats with names such as Sonny Daze, Bad Habit, Sea Ya, and Bad …

The telephone rings. Then it rings. Then, like an irate brat, the phone REALLY RINGS. And you wonder: where have I heard that progression — an everyday object grown monstrous — before? Soon it dawns. …

There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your …

When Wired magazine gave Girl Talk a Rave Award in 2007, I think Gregg Gillis was still working his day job as a biotech engineer, jetting off to weekend concerts around the globe, his coworkers …

Calexico leaders Joey Burns and John Convertino have been playing in their signature mariachi-indie-rock-experimental-spaghetti-western-film-noir-soundtrack style since the early ’90s, when they were part of the all-instrumental combo Friends of Dean Martinez. But that doesn’t mean …

Rachael Gordon’s sound, style, and her very life play like something out of the late ’70s. Musically, she says, “I’m into all sorts of things. There’s some garage rock, some power pop, and some folk. …

The latest offering of “alternative” cinema at the Reading Gaslamp comes up easily to the Landmark caliber. Which, in light of such recent specimens as Captain Abu Raed, Shrink, and The Stoning Soraya M., isn’t …

A SPECULATION. John W. Collins had nothing left. One of San Diego’s most beloved citizens and president of California National Bank, Collins lost his wife and two children in a boating accident in 1890. Eighteen …

Todd Robinson of the La Jolla Swim Club set the men’s Catalina-to-California-mainland swim record on August 25, with a time of 8 hours, 5 minutes, and 44 seconds. Beginning from Catalina Twin Harbors at around …

The first time I wandered past 309 9th Street in Pacific Grove, I felt like a child who had stumbled onto a magical enchanted wonderland in an otherwise typical residential neighborhood. A kaleidoscope of vivid …

On Saturday, August 22, almost 400 curious stargazers descended on Menghini Winery in Julian armed with red-cellophane-covered flashlights and heavy jackets, all wanting to have a peek at the night sky. The second annual Julian …

Less than ten days before the August 29 date for the enforcement of new pedicab regulations, some pedicab drivers are already catching the eye of law enforcement officers. Late Thursday night, August 20, just after …

On Friday, August 21, possession of small amounts of recreational drugs was decriminalized in Mexico. People found holding under a legally specified amount of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, crack, methamphetamines, and LSD will not be subject …

An incredible example of the sheriffs’ firefighting capability took place Friday afternoon, August 21, when a lightning strike ignited a wildfire on the hill just north of Magnolia Avenue. Within minutes after the fire was …

As baseball fans headed toward Petco Park for the August 20th game, at about 6:30 p.m., a car abruptly stopped on the corner of Tenth Avenue and J Street to unload some passengers at the …

On one recent morning in “Baja Kensington” (the south part of Kensington), I came across the most unique “yard sale.” I say “yard sale” in quotations because there was no yard to speak of...not even …

So you’ve tasted the magic of Machu Picchu. Now you look for another adventure — and you hear those fateful words, “La Ciudad Perdida” (The Lost City). Hidden (literally) in the crevices of northern Colombia’s …

Even if you can’t surf, you can catch a wave at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, 701 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 467 miles north of San Diego. The museum overlooks famed surfing hotspot Steamer …

This stretch of coastal highway – the 17-Mile Drive, as it’s called – is a beautiful, winding scenic route that traverses Pacific Grove and Carmel. Driving non-stop will take at least 25 minutes, but if …

Remember Leonardo DiCaprio in that late-'90s flick The Beach? You’re in luck, because The Beach is not only more realistic than you thought, but more accessible and more affordable than you’d imagine. Here’s where to …

I’ve dreamed of cruising on a romantic Venetian gondola and being serenaded with Italian love songs. I didn’t have to travel any further than Lake Merritt in Oakland. The proprietors of Gondola Servizio, 568 Bellevue …

San Diego band Scène Enterre appeared out of nowhere, but in the past month, the duo of “jonny” and “n.r.” has made its presence known. Their first single, “Teenager,” a blown-out take on Beach Boys …

On Thursday, August 20, San Diego Unified’s school board president Shelia Jackson stood in front of a dozen reporters and read a statement concerning superintendent Terry Grier's likely departure to run a Texas school district. …

San Diego has Little Italy. Los Angeles has “Little Mexico,” Olvera Street, located in El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument on the site of L.A.’s original birthplace. Colorful celebrations and fiestas happen here year-round. …

Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love – famous for Breyers ice cream, Tastykake and, of course, Philly cheesesteaks – is located approximately two hours south of New York City and two and a half hours …

Clipse and the Cool Kids may not get the airplay of mainstream rap acts, but their importance in rap world is undeniable. Fans filled Canes on Tuesday to celebrate a pair of rare performances in …

Call it an insurrection, an uprising, a rebellion; what else could you call it when four out of a five-person city council demand the resignation of one of their own? That's what happened in Poway …

On Wednesday, August 19, at approximately 1:30 p.m. (a regularly scheduled minimum day at Oneonta Elementary School), firecrackers lit at a home across the street caused a commotion as hundreds of students were leaving school. …

Just outside of Palm Springs (on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation), are several good hiking trails situated in what is collectively known as the Indian Canyons, part of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. The prettiest …

After visiting the Museum of Medical History, you’ll be glad you live in this century. A window to our healthcare past, these unique displays show the evolution of medical equipment and practices. Surgeries were often …

Chill out at Caffetteria Italia, to the east of the massive Victor Emanuel Monument in Rome’s busy Piazza Venezia. Just walk behind Palazzo Nuovo on top of the Campidoglio, southeast of the monument. It's a …

We all know that real California is about the cheese – you know, those happy cows and all. But do you know how all that cheese is made? At Hilmar Cheese Company, the largest single-site …

High school is a lot like the reality show Survivor. Mismatched people are plunked into a one-way-out lawless arena where they form alliances, learn from each other, and with as much luck as skill, duke …

A stabbing incident occurred on the corner of Texas Street and University Avenue in North Park early Tuesday morning, August 18. According to San Diego police radio traffic, at around 1:35 a.m., two men were …

San Diego police responded to a call on Sunday night, August 16, at about 11:50 p.m. near University Avenue and Park Boulevard in Hillcrest. A man called police and said his sister was jumping in …

On Friday, August 14, Casbah staged a pop-punk triple bill featuring locals Revenge Club, Bay Area band the Lovemakers, and L.A. trio the Muffs. Revenge Club was a pleasant surprise. You never know how the …

At about 7:25 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, a large fleet of fire trucks began to encircle the 14-story Diamond Terrace condominium located on the 400 block of Ninth Avenue in the East Village. The …

On Thursday, August 13, two blues legends came to Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. James Cotton's Superharp Band started the night. I didn't know that Cotton underwent throat surgery in 1994 making it difficult …

December 8 will be a day that lives in infamy, at least for Oceanside city councilmember Jerry Kern. That's when residents decide whether to recall the first-term councilmember from office. Three weeks ago, activist group …

On Saturday, August 8, the Billboard-topping, Grammy-winning L.A. band No Doubt, fronted by pop diva Gwen Stefani, concluded their 2009 tour at Cricket Amphitheatre in Chula Vista. As my musical tastes tend to heavy metal, …

August, the customary summer dumping ground, has suddenly yielded the best wide-release mainstream films of the season. And a long, long season it has been: the kickoff, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, feels like another year. Reparation …

How would you like to buy a whole year’s home-delivery subscription to the Union-Tribune, Thursday through Sunday,for $29.95? That’s particularly enticing, because if you want only six months of the same thing, you pay more …

In 1909, newspaper magnate Edward Willis Scripps began planting eucalyptus on the San Diego ranch he’d bought 11 years earlier. Those trees and their descendents have become the signature emblem of today’s Scripps Ranch. So …

Program Pride Thanks for the excellent article on the San Diego Serial Inebriate Program (“Hope for the Hopelessly Drunk,” Cover Story, August 13). This is something that all of San Diego can be very proud …

An article in L.A. Weekly recently declared the Zeros the “hands-down top-dog punk-rock band of the ’77 West Coast conflagration,” specifically singling them out as better than X, the band that usually gets the crown. …

Detroit is where the heart of rock and roll is still beating. Rock magazine Creem was founded there, and the critics who worked for that mag (including the late Lester Bangs, a former San Diegan) …

Thirty Years AgoLate last April John Holtz brought home to San Diego four bullet holes in the trunk of his Renault station wagon. “I was an American driving a car with Venezuela plates, and a …

A 4th&B show headlined by LBC, a Long Beach Sublime tribute band, ended with the bassist beaten and hospitalized by an unhappy fan and an opening band claiming they were underpaid by $1000. “It was …

“After seven and a half years hosting Lestat’s open mike,” says MC Isaac Cheong, “I stepped down so I could take an opportunity to work in Sydney, Australia.” Performers who cut their teeth at Lestat’s …

Tony Gidlund, bassist, guitarist, and vocalist for math-rock band Fever Sleeves, has written songs with two guitar parts since 2005, around the time when the band started to consider adding a new member. Four years …

F.u.z.z. will have their Tentacle CD-release party at the Ruby Room on Saturday, August 29. “Expect Tim Felton [Genius of Soul] to be sitting in on keys,” says the band, “plus some projected visuals, and …

Lakeside Celtic crew Dannicus Live had the most downloaded MP3 from SDReader.com during July, “Sirens.” This is the band’s second Most Downloaded track. Follows is an interview with frontman Dan. This song is pretty different …

You’re new in San Diego — or maybe just new to walking and hiking — and you want to hit the local trails with other individuals. How do you get plugged into the hiking community …

Becky Hurt, 30, is a “Master Teaching Artist” at Eveoke Dance Center in North Park, at present teaching hip-hop dance. She is self-described as having, “naturally brown hair. Also, I’m only 5’ 3”, but I …

“What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?” Huh. I impress myself. I do remember something from high school English. John …

What a difference nine years makes, just 80,000 little hours. Over those years, Mille Fleurs has mellowed markedly, adapting to leaner times. This major mood change takes the restaurant out of the big-occasion realm of …

THE FALL. On September 1, 1890, while he was in San Francisco on business, John W. Collins’s wife Fannie, daughter Mary, son Johnny, and three others drowned in a boating accident off Point Loma. “Nothing …

I love autograph stories. When a friend found out I wrote for Autograph Magazine, he told me about a guy he knows who runs an art gallery in North Park. This guy’s mother sewed clothing …

Hey, Matt: A ship was christened the other day. I believe it was named after the soldier that jumped onto a grenade during combat, saving his troops. The soldier’s mother was breaking the bottle of …

Abundance flowed from the Kelly garden boxes this summer. When the first produce was ready to be picked, I licked my lips as I planned a family feast. We’ve been chowing down on zucchini, cucumbers, …

A Mexican wrestler was pictured on the invitation to a party I went to a month ago. The card was for John’s 40th birthday “smackdown,” and I had to be “ready to rumble.” The thought …

When something itches, my dear sir, the natural tendency is to scratch. — Dr. Brubaker in The Seven Year Itch Are you getting itchy?” I asked. “Why, are you?” David countered. “Hey, that’s not an …

Welcome to the feeling of camping in the 1970s: Advance registration for single sites is not available at Jalama Beach Park, located west of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County. From Highway 1, the 14-mile Jalama …

On Tuesday, August 4, legendary British bands Whitesnake and Judas Priest played SDSU's Open Air Theatre. Though I was eager to see headlining heavy-metal giants Judas Priest, I was dismissive of Whitesnake's popular but goofy …

The Pantages Theatre, located on 6233 Hollywood Blvd (near Vine just off the 101), is a Hollywood landmark with more than its share of entertainment history. It’s played host to Vaudeville acts in the 1930s, …

Melodic metal trio Heretic is an emerging San Diego band to be on the lookout for. I haven’t noticed many show dates for the band, but they have a new EP out called Greetings. The …

It’s hard to imagine an agricultural town like Salinas being home to well-known movie and television stars. But celebrities from George of the Jungle, Mighty Joe Young, and even the model for The Lion King …

Hollywood, as you know, is about 2 hours away from San Diego, approximately 125 miles north. The Hollywood Walk of Fame, embedded in the sidewalk along both sides of Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to …

A state of tranquility envelops me as I wander through Jim Needham’s Gravity Garden, located a stone’s throw (so to speak) from the Carmel coastline, three miles south of Carmel where Highway 1 meets Fern …

Any Elvis fans out there? A trip to the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway in Palm Springs should be on your to-do list. Although Elvis did not own this house, he and Priscilla lived at 1350 Ladera …

It didn't matter that I didn't know one word of their lyrics or that I had never before heard any music by Michael Rose. When the band started playing -- about an hour after their …

If you want to step back in time and experience the life of an 1849 gold prospector, plan a trip to Gold Prospecting Adventures, 18170 Main Street, Jamestown. The experience will transport you into Gold …

Venice, the famous funky beach town, bares its colorful, eclectic soul for all to see. Stroll along the pedestrian path or take the designated skate/bike paths along the oceanfront to experience Venice’s street performers, artists, …

Camels, pyramids and mummies, oh my! This ancient civilization features some of the most famous attractions in the world. Consider these tips from my itinerary and you’ll be walking like an Egyptian in no time. …

Osaka Castle (or Osaka-jō) has a long, interesting history, and what remains of it is a feudal reminder sitting proudly in the middle of a modern Japanese city. The charming park surrounding the main tower …

Some say that Art Beal was an eccentric. Others call his work folk art. However you see it, California State Historical Landmark #939, known as Nitt Witt Ridge, is a one-of-a-kind creation. Making use of …

Escondido city councilmembers want to be fair when adjusting water rates, but water is scarce, and over the past year regional water suppliers have raised rates by 17.5 percent while reducing water allocations by 8 …

Emergency medical and fire crews were called to San Diego’s downtown nightclub On Broadway in the early hours of Saturday, August 15. According to witnesses at the venue, a fight broke out that left at …

Some residents of the 5100 block of Savannah Street were woken up at 4:00 a.m. on August 15 to a humming sound and the sound of a severe rainstorm. I went out to stand on …

At approximately 1:45 a.m. on Thursday, August 13, Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District firefighters and California Highway Patrol officers responded to the scene of a traffic incident where a car had collided with a …

Last Thursday morning, August 13, anyone driving up northbound I-15 trying to get on SR 52 found a middle-aged man assaulting vehicles and stopping traffic. The man was screaming that he had been assaulted and …

A young man celebrating his 22nd birthday at a party held Saturday, August 8, received more of surprise than just the party when he received a visit from the police. San Diego police responded to …

Police officers are finding themselves with more time to closely examine vehicle registrations and ticket vehicles that do not have updated registration, despite the fact that the vehicle is not actually on the road. This …

San Diego police arrested one person for driving under the influence and issued a misdemeanor citation to another person for making threats in connection with a disturbance that began at a Pacific Beach bar. On …

If you want to sell some of your plasma, a new Octapharma facility recently opened up behind the McDonald's on Midway Drive. If you can spend the time and pass the screening, you can earn …

Hikers, bikers, Boy Scouts, conservationists, and councilman Carl DeMaio were among the crowd of around 50 people gathered at Camino Ruiz Park in Mira Mesa on Saturday, August 8, to celebrate the opening of the …

Paul Bacon had long since advanced from detox to stints in jail. It was 2002 and he was incarcerated again, looking at 90 days. One morning, a public defender arrived at his cell to offer …

A bull run occurred August 9 at Tijuana’s Bullring by the Sea. The bulls ran in an enclosed lane some 350 yards long to protect spectators and keep the bulls from running away. A few …

Grandma glared at my bloody forearm and shouted, "Sam, come in here!" It was close to midnight, a late hour for my 80-year-old grandpa, but he came running down the hall. He gaped when he …

The 40th anniversary of Woodstock this weekend also marks the career-curtailing failure of San Diego’s Iron Butterfly to play the historic festival as scheduled. How did things fall apart for the Butterfly in August of …

Thirty Years AgoI never returned to graduate school. Nor did I ever become Marcuse’s student in a formal administrative sense. But I became a student of his ideas and character. I attended most of Marcuse’s …

5 Across: Complaint I do not like the new rules for the crossword puzzle. The new rules are not fair to those of us that work. Also, the new rules detract from my leisurely enjoyment …

Harry Griffen Park, quietly tucked away in the Grossmont Summit area where La Mesa and El Cajon adjoin, has for years remained one of East County’s well-kept secrets. As the largest park within La Mesa’s …

The Lovemakers have attracted a lot of press since the band formed in Oakland in 2002, and nearly every article begins the same way: by telling the story of how the band’s only permanent members, …

The number of tribute bands your band has spawned could be seen as a gauge of success. Take Van Halen, for example. “Just in L.A.,” says Brian Geller, “there’s us and three other [Van Halen–tribute] …

Di Nigunim is a 13-member band, making it difficult to perform on small stages and a challenge to coordinate rehearsals and gigs. The band’s instruments include the cimbalom, accordion, piano, violin, trumpet, euphonium, guitar, trombone, …

As San Diego’s Nathan Williams of Wavves recovers from breaking his wrist in a skateboarding accident, another local, who says skateboarding nearly killed him, is vying for an opening slot on the local Warped Tour …

April was a busy month for three-piece slowcore act Little White Teeth. Apart from recording 13 songs in a blistering four-day session with Pall Jenkins at his SDRL studios and a trip to Japan, (where …

The latest on Canes: it’s open for business, and the $2 million damage estimate from a July 17 fire was “way too high.” But the most significant news from owner Eric Leitstein is that he …

Artist: Jaymz DareSong: “Rock Paper Scissors” (from his self-titled CD)Heard by: Aaron Rubin, San DiegoIt was awful. It wanted it to sound like Soft Cell, but it didn’t achieve it. This is a great example …

Hey, Matt: My friend’s baby was born with light blue eyes, but they changed to a sort of hazel color as she got older. What makes this happen? And can adults change the color of …

Method Man and Redman play Canes on Friday, August 14. Jamar: I actually did security for Method Man last time he was at Canes. I walked him to the limo twice.... He’s one of the …

"Of course everyone wants to visit us,” I quipped to my husband Patrick. “We live in America’s Finest City.” “Fine,” he retorted. “But all at once? Old-timers, hipsters, and tweens — it’s too much. You …

I was having a rough patch in crashing some events. It started with Comic-Con. Organizers refused to give me a press pass because something I wrote on the Reader website last year bothered them. I …

How do you forge a friendship in 140 characters or less? — Rosa Jurjevics "So, how do you know Charley and Rebecca?” asked the woman in the white dress. I’d noticed her earlier, had admired …

THE RISE. In 1880, San Diego County had 4961 official residents. By early 1887, an estimated 30,000 newcomers had arrived, with thousands more on the way. Immigrants, health-seekers, and speculators came to buy property for …

A few months ago, some guy from some burg like Dubuque emailed the paper, asking which restaurants he should try during a few days’ visit here, price no object. Bertrand at Mr. A’s was one …

From the start, you pretty much know: everybody getting off the number 3 bus at Fifth and Elm is headed there. Five o’clock on a Thursday, where else? Horizon Park Chapel. Free food. Me too. …

The press packet for Herringbone at the La Jolla Playhouse includes an “artist’s statement” claiming that the “dark, quirky musical allegory” hopes “to illuminate the schizophrenia of what it means to be an American.” Well, …

It could be someone’s living room in 1969, say, just outside of An Hoa: open air — no bullet holes or mortar scars — a kind of scrub palm and bird of paradise dream of …

Brett Favre can still play in the NFL says the retired quarterback, speaking to the Eupora High School (Eupora, Mississippi) student council. Favre was in town for a press availability, part of his 2009 Whether …

A message was pinned to the bulletin board standing in the cozy courtyard off to the side of the trim yellow church with the red-tile roof: “If your photo is not on this board, please …

Asking that her name be withheld, a woman emailed us a few months ago about a liquor store that was “bad, bad news for the community and the south end of Balboa Park.” The writer’s …

It wasn’t so long ago that the Convention and Visitors Bureau, hotel marketers, and San Diego ad agencies “would utilize Tijuana in advertising,” recalls Jack Giacomini, partner in Hotel Managers Group and head of the …

You know very well, if you have been paying attention, what you are going to get from the Dardenne brothers of Belgium, Jean-Pierre and Luc. You are going to get quality control as rigid and …

The fight rages on for Myssie McCann, the wife of Chula Vista councilmember John McCann. For the past three weeks, ever since her husband left for a yearlong deployment to Iraq, McCann has been critical …

When I first saw Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo, I instantly recognized how it got its name. I wasn’t sure whether to be grossed out by the sight of so much used chewing gum …

What’s in a name, you ask? Well, quite a bit with Sri Lanka. In the Sanskrit language, Sri Lanka translates roughly to “prosperous island.” This island nation, the size of West Virginia, offers over a …

According to the San Diego County district attorney's office, the Imperial Beach City Council's appointment of former mayor Diane Rose to the city council wasn't a smooth political move; though, it isn't enough for a …

There couldn't be a better title for this project than The Seed. If The Seed is about anything, it's about roots. On the EP, rappers Kahlee and Uptown Swuite and producer Adikt 1 come to …

When planning dinner at Wool Growers Restaurant, 609 H Street in Los Banos, it’s a good idea to skip lunch. Bring a hearty appetite and pace yourself – they serve a lot of food. Being …

The next time you want to invite two dozen friends over for breakfast, you can feed them all with one scrambled egg – if you’re cooking an ostrich egg, that is. Weighing 3-4 pounds, an …

August is going to be a busy month for the city clerk of Chula Vista. On August 7, the clerk's office began accepting applications to fill the vacant council position left after councilmember John McCann's …

Westcal Construction company owner Richard Chidgey arrived at a job site in National City early on the morning of July 28 and discovered that someone had unsucessfully tried to steal a copper fitting from the …

At approximately 9:35 p.m. on Friday, August 7, two men were seen walking westbound on the 900 block of J Street when one of them fell unconscious to the sidewalk. Two security personnel from a …

Shortly after 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 6, a sound like a plane crashing in my yard took me to my window. Nothing stirred, then neighbors came running out of their houses. Around the corner …

Wednesday 5:58 p.m. “Yes, I can do 11:15. How much will it cost?” I blurt into my iphone with a shaky voice. “ One hundred and twenty five dollars” the receptionist replies. I agree and …

For years, Chula Vista City Council Chambers has served as the battleground for many political wars. The latest battle continues more than a month after Deputy Mayor McCann’s deployment to Iraq. During last Tuesday’s city …

Shortly after 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 6, a 91-year-old man crashed his Dodge Caravan into the entrance railing outside the CVS/pharmacy in the Imperial Beach Promenade Shopping Center. According to a San Diego sheriff’s …

San Diego police responded to a stabbing incident in Middletown at around 12:35 a.m. on Saturday, August 1. An argument among partygoers turned violent at a residence in the 2400 block of India Street, according …

Just before 3:00 p.m. on Sunday August 2, a man was seen sitting on the sidewalk, leaning up against a building on the 400 block of Tenth Avenue. He bled profusely from his left arm. …

San Diego County agriculture officials discovered a Mediterranean fruit fly in a trap last week in Imperial Beach, and local I.B. resident Don Smith – who has a master’s degree in entomology -- says he’s …

From a beachfront hotel balcony you can take in panoramic views of Panama City’s gulf coastline, a long stretch of sugar-white sand and emerald green waters. Located in the Florida Panhandle, Panama City Beach is …

Cabo San Lucas is only 2 hours from San Diego?... Yes! There are nonstop flights from San Diego to Cabo and they're just 2 hours long. Once in Cabo, the range of hotel options is …

For lots of sinless fun in Las Vegas, these are my favorite options: Take a trip to the top of Eiffel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel – nighttime is best for a view …

Grosseto, in the Maremma area of Tuscany, dates back to the 7th-century B.C. Etruscans, the “first great people of Italy.” Local attractions include remains of two important Etruscan cities, Roselle and Vetulonia. Massa Marittima (51 …

The Galápagos, the islands that inspired Charles Darwin during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, are a tropical mecca of unique wildlife. My journey there was unforgettable; here are some tips on how you can …

It was a great pleasure for me to visit the Cannery Row district in Monterey, California. Cannery Row is lined with old-time sardine fisheries, where the fish were caught in mass quantities and canned or …

I am old, I am old. I shall wear my trousers rolled. At 36, I’m a good two years out of the demographic sweet spot, and if people aren’t trying to sell you things, there’s …

Dina is 11, slight in her turquoise hoodie, and dark-haired. She’s finishing up the fifth grade at a private North County middle school where, she says, “there’s a lot going on.” Though she’s too young …

On the same weekend last month, I went to two dance parties. One was for a salsa dancer who turned 40. The locale, in P.B., was decorated with pictures of him. A DJ played salsa …

THE RAID. On September 10, 1909, city prosecutor Edgar Luce, chief of police Keno Wilson, and a detective named Smith crossed the Market Street “dead line” and took a stroll through the Stingaree, San Diego’s …

No Debt LoadThis letter is in regards to the following comments by Naomi Wise in her latest restaurant review section (“Top of the World, Ma!” July 16). As a former owner of the Better Half, …

“Hot? Hot-hot? Hot-hot-hot?” Sanaa stands there, in one hand a big pestle at the ready, in the other, a bunch of nasty little green and red chili peppers ready to throw in for crushing. Ready …

And you thought you knew Oz. I suspect the one thing all Americans have in common, culturally, isn’t the Super Bowl or the Academy Awards. It’s The Wizard of Oz. How many times have you …

I was flipping through a newspaper and came across an article about an upcoming show featuring four tribute bands that impersonate, respectively, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Rage Against the Machine. The same …

Philip Barrett Associate editor, atomicpopcorn.net Hard Boiled is what most action films aspire to be but lose their plot along the way. Directed by John Woo, this opus of bullets actually has a story worth …

“When people ask what I’m like onstage,” says Lindsay White, “I tell them to imagine Bob Dylan with a skirt.” The soulful singer-songwriter got her local start playing open mikes around town at venues like …

Recipe from Kirti Srivastava Honestly, I grew up in the restaurant. We’ve had it since I was little, when my parents came to San Diego from Uttar Pradesh to help my uncle. At the time, …

As per its own punchy subhead, Julie and Julia is “based on two true stories,” parallel stories of feminist self-determination, set half a century apart, then and now. One focuses on Julie Powell, a beleaguered …

I don’t care that Venezuelan pop stars Los Amigos Invisibles sing in Spanish and weave cumbia rhythms and congas into their music — they are the sound of American dance floors in the early 1980s. …

When did the future switch from being a promise to being a threat? — Chuck Palahniuk "This is just the kind of thing I was in the mood for," I said, gesturing at my plate …

‘We just want to toodle around and see the sights,” said Aunt Nancy on the phone before her visit. “And we don’t want to put you out in the slightest.” “How does one toodle?” asked …

Help, Matt: My friend sings to her plants. She likes to sing anyway, but she says the carbon dioxide she emits when she sings to them helps them grow, since plants absorb carbon dioxide and …

The Centre City Development Corp. is paying $10,160 to Heritage Architecture to create a “list of potential new uses, creative adaptive reuse design scenarios and provide cost-estimating services for the selected alternatives,” for rehabilitating the …

Termed-out Democratic state Sen. Christine Kehoe has apparently set her sights on returning to the Assembly. After a failed bid for Congress in 1998, Kehoe, at the time a member of the San Diego city …

Some insiders predicted he would be UCSD’s first million-dollar professor, but the state’s financial meltdown apparently dashed those plans. Still, don’t fret for Dr. William Mobley, new chairman of the department of neurosciences at the …

On a Tuesday afternoon in June, Barry Jung, Dole Food Company’s general manager of West Coast operations, drives his white Ford pickup toward a green-and-black freighter. Every Monday since 2002, when Dole moved its West …

Thirty Years AgoJoan Baez appears at SDSU’s Amphitheatre tonight, Thursday. Baez has always struck me as an opportunist and dilettante, flaunting her political beliefs, her ethnic origins, and her relationship with Bob Dylan.— “THIS WEEK’S …

On July 7, 31-year-old Nick Pizana, aka Big Yikes, of South Bay hip-hop crew South Psycho Cide, passed away from cardiac arrest following a bout with pneumonia. Pizana’s enjoyment of practical jokes had his bandmates …

Last year’s X-Fest, headlined by Offspring and Pennywise at the Concerts on the Green facility near Qualcomm, may have ended the event’s 25-year run. When it became clear that 91X would not bring back X-Fest …

“It came as a pretty big surprise,” says John Cota, guitarist and vocalist for San Diego hardcore act Hostile Comb-Over, after sipping from a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon inside North Park’s Live Wire. Last …

“I wrote a song that became a children’s book,” says New Archaic singer-violinist Alicia Previn, who will perform “The Earthworm Song” at an August 9 release party for The Earthworm Book at Escondido’s Stone Brewery. …

Long gone are the days when tourists traveled to Inspiration Point — high above Pasadena in the San Gabriel Mountains — by way of the Mount Lowe Railway. The railway, Southern California’s premier tourist attraction …

“We don’t preach a particular culture,” said Paul Chacon, explaining Mission San Diego Church of Christ’s diversity — of race, of age, even of dress. “It’s not a culture of the American flag — Jesus …

‘We started a month or so ago. Right now we’re running tournaments twice a month. Our first tournament had five teams. Second tournament, seven. We’ve got 10 or 11 teams signed for Saturday.” Speaking is …

Marlon Castle, 22, got in line for the entrance to the San Diego Convention Center after having stood in line for 20 minutes at the will-call window for his ticket. The ticket is worn around …

Looking for ways to slow traffic down in their community, Banker's Hill residents are gaining ground on bringing in additional stop signs along 4th, 5th, and 6th avenues. The residents compare the streets to speedways, …

Hitachi's Tijuana maquiladoras ceased operations on August 1. The two factories — 24,000 and 68,000 square meters in size — cranked out televisions and computer screens. The closures were implemented due to dwindling demand. Two …

An elderly man in a motorized wheelchair was struck by a car on the corner of Palm and 11th Avenue on Friday afternoon, July 31. The man was attempting to cross Palm and started from …

Additional funding to complete the Ted Williams Parkway Pedestrian Bridge project at Shoal Creek Drive in Carmel Mountain Ranch has been secured. Approximately $2.3 million in federal and local funds had been raised, but an …

Greece without Santorini is like a Greek salad without Kalamata olives – it just doesn’t taste the same. Santorini’s awe-inspiring Caldera, a sea-filled crater, and its vineyards and unbeatable nightlife make it a popular vacation …

Autumn is an ideal time to visit Vancouver, British Columbia, when the foliage is particularly vibrant. A sophisticated city with a mix of gardens and woodlands, Vancouver can be described as temperate rainforest within a …

Looking for a unique vacation? Visit the island of Pico, the second-largest and one of the most beautiful of the Azores’s nine islands. Whether you hike, bike or drive, be sure to explore the lush …

Lake Arrowhead, two and a half hours northeast of San Diego, is situated in the San Bernardino Mountains’ Angeles National Forest. The community of Lake Arrowhead and surrounding areas offer welcome respite from the summer …

Love nature, but crave creature comforts? Try Roughley Manor, a bed and breakfast in Twentynine Palms, California, just minutes from the northeastern entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. It’s a perfect staging area for day …

A case could be made that the grind of a slowing economy and rising unemployment has brought a degree of prosperity to the witchcraft trade in Tijuana. Although it is unfair to lump the herbalists’ …

Last week, San Diego sheriff’s deputies and investigators arrested 38-year-old Ismael Sanchez Carrillo for attempted grand theft in front of the Hall of Justice at 330 West Broadway. During the past six weeks, jurors and …

Several people were involved in a fight shortly after 11 p.m. on Sunday evening, July 26, near the Hillcrest Medical Center north of Washington Street. According to a resident who had just gone to bed, …