When I went into the Reader's website to blog about my neighborhood, I was marketed ingeniously by the computer. Once I typed in my neighborhood, Linda Vista, the Reader showed me an ad that asked …

A giant sinkhole opened up on bulevar Federico Benítez on Monday, December 27, swallowing up two freight trucks loaded with wheat. The collapsed section of roadway measured about 15 feet wide, 24 feet long, and …

Think you want to be a hairstylist? Thu Nguyen explains what it takes. First, tell me how you’ve been in this line of work. I’ve been doing it for 12 years. What kind of schooling …

On January 1, a new law will go into effect allowing California's motorists to place five- to seven-inch high-definition "video event recorders" on the windshield of their cars. State Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, representative for areas …

Recipe by Jeff Jackson, Chef, A.R. Valentien (at the Lodge at Torrey Pines) When you learn to cook as I did, 30 to 40 years ago in the Midwest, you had a menu that was …

Hey Matt: I’ve been looking at those “energy-saving” lightbulbs and they look pretty complicated to me. A regular lightbulb looks like it’s much easier to make. Just a glass bubble with a filament in it. …

I think a man ought to get drunk at least twice a year just on principle, so he won’t let himself get snotty about it. — Raymond Chandler Click Here for a full Gallery of …

The conception of a dharma is the central point of the Buddhist doctrine. In the light of this conception, Buddhism discloses itself as a metaphysical theory developed out of one fundamental principle, viz. the idea …

During the Great Depression, films were good at lifting spirits. Quite often, life at the movies really was like a bowl of cherries. Cherries included W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Bette Davis, Mickey Mouse, Mae …

“Children have no respect for hangovers,” moaned my friend Karen. “Too much eggnog at the office Christmas party on Friday; too many tiny feet pounding on the floor early Saturday morning. I’ll never drink that …

We live in the age of the geek, where no matter how obscure your pop-culture obsession, you can find a community of people on the internet which shares your passion. In the heyday of Deadheads, …

I Heart Chargers You guys should move to L.A. Your paper is helping San Diegans to give up on the Chargers (“Chargers: Look at Petco Failure,” “City Lights,” December 23). I will from now on …

The long recession has taken its toll, even on my “bests” list. Not only did I dine at few “destination restaurants” this year (and, sorry, you do get what you pay for, if you’re lucky), …

This little guy was singing a few days ago. Now, crunch. One ex-grasshopper. We’re talking chapulines. Fried and dropped on a big white plate. A delicacy from Oaxaca, southern Mexico. The taste? Salty, with a …

In one sense the best, in most others the worst of times. Throughout the county the level of performance has never been higher. You can expect competent acting in most local theaters. Two examples: Scripps …

Not everyone need agree, and it is unlikely everyone would, but I am certain I could walk out my front door and get a consensus of ten people within ten minutes that 2010 sucked more …

On its roughly 50-mile course from the mountain crest near Julian to the beach at Del Mar, the combined Santa Ysabel Creek/San Dieguito River courses through several steep and narrow canyons. The lowest of these, …

from Musica Humana I am reading aloud the book of my life on earth and confess, I loved grapefruit. In a kitchen: sausages; tasting vodka, the men raise their cups. A boy in a white …

Thursday 30Yes, Virginia...dark cabaret duo the Dresden Dolls did reunite this year and have been touring, appropriately enough, since Halloween. The Boston band, consisting of Amanda Palmer (vox, keys) and Brian Viglione (everything else), will …

On December 29, In Motion Trio — temporarily a quintet renamed In Motion Trio+2 — had a release party at Lestat’s for their album The Barefoot Race. Also new this week is Someday, a solo …

For Mark Rasmussen, the ten years he spent publishing the locally based monthly rock magazine No Cover (1997–2007) was ecstasy and agony. “We gave blink-182 their first magazine cover in March ’98. We also gave …

British rocker Dave Mason was everywhere during the late ’60s and ’70s. He cofounded Traffic. He played acoustic guitar on the Hendrix version of “All Along the Watchtower.” He is said to have played without …

God’s making His creatures’ diligent compliance with His commandments the means of attaining permanent bliss is the better course. For according to the judgment of reason the person who achieves some good by means of …

Contact: Chula Vista Campus, 2355 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista; South Coast Campus, 2050 Coronado Avenue, San Diego; 619-370-5005; eastlakechurch.com Denomination: Independent Christian Membership: 5500 Pastor: Mike Meeks Age: 55 Born: Coos Bay, Ore. Formation: …

Uh-oh. Beer Man looks up. He’s six-foot-five and garbed in his blue Superman tunic with a red cape, yellow briefs, a full mane of red hair and a beard. His expression says it all: Is …

When the Tree Ring went looking for seed money to produce their debut CD Generous Shadows, they turned to Kickstarter, a global web platform where self-starting artists can carry out donation drives. When they launched …

“People were incredibly generous, sending me contact info for gigs and helping me track down places to sleep,” says Americana singer Jesse LaMonaca, who recently completed a self-booked tour of Australia. The trek was financed …

On their Facebook and MySpace profiles, Julian-based folk rockers the Smart Brothers list “the Road” as their hometown. Considering the trio played 273 shows in 2010, the road seems to be exactly that — home. …

Depending on whom you ask, Julián Leyzaola is either a hero or a beast. Controversy surrounding Tijuana’s secretary of public security made headlines in December 2009, when accusations surfaced in the San Diego News Network, …

The local housing market may be dead for mere mortals, but as far as the nation’s megamillionaires and billionaires are concerned, coastal La Jolla is in hypergrowth mode. Ex–Massachusetts governor and likely future GOP presidential …

The San Diego Sheriff’s Department is in the market for an X150 Thermal-Eye pocket scope. According to one online vendor, which lists the device at $4526: “Whether performing critical missions, gathering intelligence or conducting situation …

It's 1972. Marc Bolan, born Mark Feld, son of a truck driver, sits on top of the fricking world. Or, at least, on top of as much of the world as matters to him — …

So far, the two biggest success stories from American Idol are power-pop belter Kelly Clarkson and country superstar Carrie Underwood. Well, after listening to Crystal Bowersox's debut album, all I can say is move over …

Between having tunes appear on hit TV shows Grey's Anatomy and Castle and another one on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack, San Diego–based Anya Marina's music has gotten high-profile exposure, leading up to her latest …

So maybe 2010 wasn’t the best year for you and the other 15.1 million people looking for a job. You’ll probably be spending New Year’s Eve alone and shouting, “Good Riddance,” when the clock strikes …

On December 27, 3375 gallons of sewage gushed into the Zanja Creek after crews from San Diego's Waste Water Department unblocked a clogged sewage pipe in San Diego's Fairbanks Ranch community. Crews were unable to …

You have been looking for a job for an extended period of time. You have had a couple interviews, yet heard nothing. Your frustration level is rising. Each day you sit at your computer and …

Local favorites Josh Damigo and Endoxi rocked the Belly Up Tavern's Facebook party. The performers were selected by fans on Belly Up's Facebook page. Josh, a 2010 San Diego Music Award recipient who recently moved …

I had barely rinsed off the dirt and dust from our Thanksgiving trip to Carrizo Gorge when we found ourselves heading back to the Anza-Borrego Desert to meet up with a couple of friends. Our …

A massive cloud of black smoke that loomed above the Escondido Auto Park on December 22 was due to a transformer fire at SDG&E’s substation on Enterprise Street. The fire started at approximately 12:15 p.m. …

Buffeted by wind and light showers, Peter Donohue stood on the steps of the Chula Vista police station on the afternoon of December 22 to tell the press that, according to his initial analysis of …

The job market was never expected to be as weak as it is today. At least, not by the federal government. The routine employment dips that have become part of the natural evolution of the …

On December 8, 1854, Papa Pío IX established the dogma of the immaculate conception of Mary. Granted, the publication of a dogma is not very sexy, but for Colombians, the doctrine represents the kindling of …

I've driven past the funky Offroad Rentals place for over 20 years. Their office is in an old, brightly painted railroad boxcar, right on Hwy. 111 as you come off the 10 freeway heading into …

On December 21, San Diego Sheriff's Deputies arrested seven adults after they purchased alcohol for teenagers at liquor stores in La Mesa, Spring Valley, and Casa de Oro. The arrests were made as deputies conducted …

Mystery Money Thank you, Mr. Bauder, for keeping it real (“City Lights,” December 16). It is extremely disappointing that Mayor Sanders is willing to give invisible public funds for a Charger stadium rather than rebuild …

“I was so stoked not to have band practices and shows for a few months,” former Da Bears front man Ryan Solomon says in his Normal Heights garage. “But I still had to record.” The …

Douglas Benson never sang professionally until founding Cash’d Out five years ago. “I started singin’ pretty much just to keep myself awake while I was on the road,” he says. Benson’s work involved the setting …

The Box has next week off, which is a good thing in oh-so-many ways, headmost being the end-of-the-year-sports-wrap-up-and-awards column will appear one week early. And when you think about it, isn’t that what we all …

Ben Moore says that after 15 months of Monday nights, the Styletones are giving up their residency at Bar Pink. “We’re leaving because we’ve got a record coming out in the next couple of months …

Nary has a Christmas gone by without my thinking of a string of years — in the late ’70s and early ’80s — when my then wife and I would prepare ghost stories or stories …

Judaism is a way of life that endeavors to transform virtually every human action into a means of communion with God. Through this communion with God, the Jew is enabled to make his contribution to …

Friday night. Just got paid. Riding my stretch limo (the 933 bus) around, circling the coast of I.B. I figure on maybe going up the pier to that seafood place the Tin Fish. But, then, …

Of all the gastropubs opening this year, Proper Gastro Pub seems to have the most extensive and ambitious menu, along with an especially rich selection of English pub-food classics, jiggered by chef Sean Magee into, …

True Grit Jeff Bridges’s work with the Coen brothers in The Big Lebowski is well known, and as his Academy Award for Crazy Heart shows, he is no slouch in a cowboy persona. But to …

Indianhead, a 3990-foot promontory perched along the north wall of Borrego Palm Canyon, juts dramatically from the desert floor near Borrego Springs and the Anza-Borrego Desert visitor center. There are several true mountain-climbing routes to …

It seems as though the pending purchase of O’Connell’s nightclub has fallen through. O’Connell’s, a live-music venue located at 1310 Morena Boulevard, is owned and operated by husband and wife Rick and Lorrie LaLama and …

Every sentient being is capable of attainting enlightenment, which is not so much a change from one extreme, Samsara, to another, Nirvana, but the ineffable experience in which both have ceased to dominate the thought …

A LITTLE OLD-SCHOOL GLAMOUR “What does he do, this man you seek?…He covets…And how do we begin to covet, Clarice?…We begin by coveting what we see every day.” — Dr. Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of …

There were a number of bands that were important to American indie rock at the turn of the ’90s but broke up just before the alternative-rock boom. People who were too young to see the …

Jazz saxophonist James Moody died at the San Diego Hospice on the afternoon of December 9, a week and a day after receiving his fourth Grammy nomination. He was 85 and had battled pancreatic cancer …

Membership: 250 Pastor: Jeff Enderle Born: Council Bluffs, Iowa Formation: Northwestern College, Watertown, Wisconsin; Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota; Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin Ordained: 8 years San Diego Reader: How long do you …

Twenty Years AgoSo what’s the real story behind the statue of R.E. “Pappy Hazard” in the new Hazard Center in Mission Valley? The inscription on the statue, “Be just and fear not,” is the same …

Why do DJs make up pseudonyms, rather than use their given name? “Hiding behind an alias is a fun and elusive feeling,” says local studio DJ Snaps Provolone (not his real name). “Making up a …

Dear Matthew: I just lost about 100 pounds. Where exactly did all that fat go? -- Skinny Sheree, via email Wow! Good thing you didn’t have to haul it all out in garbage bags. Lucky …

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light; The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in …

“We wish you a Merry Christmas…so bring us some figgy pudding…we won’t go until we get some…” “Mom, what’s figgy pudding?” asked my youngest. “I haven’t the faintest, dear,” I replied, “but it must have …

Textured, moderately echoed/fuzzed guitar meshes with Quinn's I-have-a-caramel-in-my-mouth vocals and wide-(NYC)-eyed intonations irresistibly. Yeah, it sounds kinda ’90s, but in a "I miss the verve and innocence we took for granted" way. Liz Phair's thoughts …

Hocus is a three-piece rock band from Imperial Beach. With influences from far-ranging ’80s and ’90s rock with a measure of hardcore punk thrown in, Hocus performed an energetic set at the Shakedown Bar in …

Top ten reasons why Meat Loaf made the best album of 2010 bar none with his latest (last?) (and, yeah, I'm squinting at you Kanye West):• Meat sings "I put my pants on" and• "I …

Ocean Beach multitudes packed the thin walls of Winstons to catch a glimpse of one of San Diego's promising new bands. Those on hand for the Heavy Guilt's last show of 2010 were privy to …

With government funds growing scarce, the San Diego sheriff’s office is looking for a metal salvage outfit to recycle spent cartridges at its shooting ranges at Miramar and Otay Mesa. The shells are “primarily 40cal …

Padres attendance is worse than it was at Qualcomm, even though the team had a great 2010 season and is slashing ticket and concession prices. So why do the Chargers want a stadium a stone’s …

On September 8, 2009, eight property owners along Mount Terminus Drive in Clairemont received a letter from the City of San Diego entitled “Encroachment into Tecolote Canyon Natural Open Space Park.” Stapled to the letters …

San Diego’s two newest city councilmembers have been sworn in and are already enmeshed in possible ways to cut the City budget by slashing services and selling off City land. At the same time, the …

Former Democratic state senator Denise Ducheny, who’s already drawn heat for her appointment by the Senate Rules Committee to a four-year term on the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board — a job that pays $128,109 annually …

Not unlike this time last year, the San Diego River rose today with the region's heavy rains and spilled over its banks. At dawn this morning river crossings in Mission Valley were knee-deep in flowing …

At approximately 9:15 am this morning (December 21) there was a flash flood in Chollas Creek near Logan and South Gregory Street that then flooded the surrounding streets and some residences and businesses. The flood …

On Wednesday, December 15, representatives from SANDAG (San Diego Association of Governments) held an informational meeting on the Mid-City Rapid bus project at Cathedral Towers, a senior living facility near the corner of Park Boulevard …

Three young men pleaded guilty to beating an elderly woman at the front gate of her Oceanside condo more than a year ago, and the last two were sentenced in the Vista courthouse yesterday afternoon. …

On Friday, December 17, at approximately 3:00 pm a fire started in the fallow field at the center of Santee. The fire was on the southern side of the San Diego River nearer Magnolia Boulevard. …

Since our local Metropolitan Transit System changed the trolley fares and how the bus and trolley transfers worked in 2009, riding the trolley has become very expensive. Before with a trolley ticket or a bus …

Resident Jamie Wetzel appeared before the San Marcos city council on Tuesday, December 14 to discuss his issues with the city’s property value and neighborhood preservation ordinance. Over the past few months, Wetzel has been …

On December 14, Sydney Cicourel and members of animal activist group San Diego Stop Puppy Mills urged La Mesa city councilmembers to pass an ordinance prohibiting pet stores from buying dogs and cats from non-shelter …

Early Thursday morning, December 16th, a home-invasion robbery took place in the 4900 block of Santa Cruz Avenue in Ocean Beach. According to the San Diego Police Department, several armed men entered the Ocean Beach …

A man who makes efforts to cleave to God has no time to think of unimportant matters; when he constantly serves the Creator, he has no time to be vain…. If a man should suddenly …

Agnostics may justifiably insist (and they are at one with all the greatest religious thinkers in their insistence) on the strict limitations of the intellect of man in his approach to the Supreme Power, even …

Bombed into near oblivion during World War II by Allied planes because of its importance as a railway junction, the Tuscan town of Pontassieve is back on the radar again, this time for its fantastic …

Located roughly 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, Teotihuacan is an essential day trip if you’re visiting Mexico City. Considered Mexico’s most important archaeological site, Teotihuacan thrived as a civilization roughly between 100 and 700 …

A half hour before the Escondido City Council meeting of December 15 was set to begin, two police officer stormed the council chambers looking for a bomb. According to a witness, the officers pulled right …

Please tell me briefly what you do for job seekers. What kinds of services do you provide? I help job seekers make sense of that daunting task of looking for a job. I help them …

According to David Bach, author of “Start Late, Finish Rich,” “The number-one challenge facing virtually every employer and boss in America is finding great employees.” And some of the employers’ most common challenges include: They …

Members of the San Diego Animal Advocates on December 15 continued their demonstration on the corner of Nimitz Boulevard and Rosecrans Street in search of a dog killer who attacked in the vicinity early morning …

Satan and Moloch just got laid off. Times are so economically splattered, even Lucifer’s minions are getting pink-slipped. Okay, sure, devil-work — tempting sinners and terrorizing saints — wears a mite thin after a millennium …

Wowee. It feels like Back East, Back When. Like, before “calories” became a dirty word. I’m standing outside Lefty’s, the Chicago pizza outpost where Windy City refugees come in droves, desperate to escape anorexic-thin New …

“I would have kicked the shit out of this guy in a debate. He’s a 76-year-old man with no platform.” Ocean Beach surfer/rocker/“extreme capitalist” Richard Aguirre has footage on his website (aguirreforgovernor.com) showing governor-elect Brown …

Because of the boffo response to last year’s Christmas column... You remember, it was a holiday shopping guide advising readers where to go on Christmas morning for that special sportspersonhood Christmas present. I don’t think …

Thirty Years AgoThe Fifth Annual Willa Cather Citation for the classiest title of the movie year goes to Hide in Plain Sight, not a very Catehrian title, certainly, but perfectly suitable for something on the …

Confronting the multiplex tree of holiday goodies, I hang some critical tinsel, if not very much good news: How Do You Know Reese Witherspoon is now a womanly 34. Paul Rudd is 41, Owen Wilson …

Membership: 250 Pastor: Reverend Thomas Anastasi Age: 63 Born: Chattanooga, Tennessee Formation: University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. Starr King School for the Ministry, Berkeley; San Francisco Theological Seminary, Berkeley Years Ordained: 21 San Diego Reader: …

Arriving in mid-December was hardly guaranteed, though, I’m mostly pleased to be here — or anywhere, as a tired joke would have it. Come to think of it, an uncomfortable number of my life’s aspects …

Along Fifth Avenue Ladies and gentlemen, print is not dead. The following publications were available in print, for free, from drop boxes and coffee shops along Fifth Avenue over the two blocks between Washington and …

Recipe by Antonio Friscia, Executive Chef, Stingaree My dad was a wholesale seafood distributor in San Francisco. I grew up delivering fish to restaurants, and I liked the other side of the business. I was …

I must decline your invitation owing to a subsequent engagement. — Oscar Wilde I kept my eyes on the road while David called out numbers. “We’re looking for 976, so it’s probably going to be …

Having weathered a dozen lineup changes over nine years, Roxy Monoxide play their final gig on Saturday, December 18, at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge. Singer-guitarist Scott Samuels concedes they failed to reinvent themselves following the departure …

"You don’t know us, but we know you,” the text message read. “You are one of the selected few.” The message, from a Mr. Smith, gave the location of a South Park wine bar where …

Thursday 16Prepare for Black and Blue when Jake Smith, aka the White Buffalo, roams into Casbah. The oft-solo roller is back with a band behind his debut Ruff Shod release, an EP of the larger-than-life …

The words of A Christmas Carol filled the living room. The fire roared in the potbelly stove, and homemade eggnog warmed our hands. My older brother’s fireside readings are a Christmas tradition I miss dearly …

“There are many sides of Endoxi ,” says singer-guitarist Chris Wilson. “There’s the Mozart got drunk on Metallica’s wine and flew to space on a rock ’n’ roll rocket ship side. Then there’s the 1940s …

In the closing hours of an earth-spin, we sometimes want more than another round of sheetrock rooms, perfect-density pile carpets, and matching furniture. And so many of us, in the evenings, go to the edge …

On such occasions one comes to know someone spectacularly fast. Even with your unfriendly arm at my throat you could hide nothing from me. Your failures with women, for instance, filed through my mind. And …

City councilman Kevin Faulconer joined city employees and representatives from the Ocean Beach Community Development Corporation on Tuesday morning to celebrate the groundbreaking for Phase 1 of a 2 phase project to improve the first …

People who claim to be in the know about Rob Halford’s personal life — Halford being the Judas Priest front man — say that he lives in San Diego these days. Tales of numerous Halford …

It’s easy to take Los Lobos for granted. The L.A. band has been around for 36 years with the same lineup (minus two or three years off for side projects). They earned their critical reputation …

"After 40 years, we are closed." A sign attached to the front door of the Mission Bay Visitors Information Center spelled out the unhappy news, as confused tourists milled about. According to a post on …

“December marks the tenth anniversary of me doing Cover Me Badd events in San Diego,” says front man Adam Gimbel. CMB’s comedic assault on tribute-band culture involves performing as eerily accurate — but nonetheless ridiculous …

Stop the presses! The chef whose work is reviewed in this column abruptly departed El Bizcocho three days after this dinner. When our valiant mensch of a photographer, Alan Decker, phoned to make an appointment …

“Elvis was the coolest man musician who ever lived. He had everything the average male teenager needed and wanted, you know, the ladies being number one,” says City Limits guitarist Les Allen. City Limits is …

Suppose a deeply depressed mayor of an insolvent city comes to psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and laments that he has had to cut back on fire and police services, close recreation centers, slash library hours, and …

Airport parking at San Diego International is expensive — unless you’ve snagged a free pass, that is. For most of us, it’s $4 an hour, $21 maximum for 24 hours; long-term parking (three days to …

The free ride is apparently over for emergency victims rescued by San Diego’s helicopter fleet. Earlier this month, the City posted a request for proposal for “a comprehensive air medical billing service for patients who …

Baldwin & Sons, LLC, and its wealthy owner Alfred Baldwin, the big South Bay developer, is paying a $400 fine to the California Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to file a so-called major donor …

The former district director for ex-Democratic state senator Denise Ducheny has turned up as a new lobbyist for billionaire Sam Zell’s Otay Mesa border crossing complex, planned to connect Tijuana’s airport with the United States. …

Drop The Handle Just a note on the Hargrove story on the Del Mar Racetrack (“I’ll Bet on That Nag to Come Last,” “City Lights,” December 9). In 2009, there were 43 racing days. Last …

Just after 9:30PM last night (December 13), a fire broke out in the floor of a three-story condominium complex in the 3700 block of Alabama Street. Firefighters and paramedics were on the scene within minutes …

First, one has to get past the cover photo of these two senior citizen ’70s rockers leaning back on their pianos to appreciate the original, entertaining music within. Leon Russell, looking like a fugitive from …

The new Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier is causing controversy even before its public unveiling, scheduled for the weekend of December 18-19. The Port of San Diego will be hosting a celebratory open house on …

On Wednesday, December 15, Escondido city councilmembers will debate spending $50 million for a new minor-league baseball stadium just north of downtown Escondido. Before the council engages on the discussion of whether to build the …

"There's more than four people here — this is awesome!" exclaims Mark ("Harpo") Delguidice, responding to a sizable conflagration of four-to-the-floor tribes that refuse to retire on their respective reservations: to hell with fickle trends …

A loose dog terrorized air traffic at Lindbergh Field on Saturday, December 11th. Airport authorities alerted Air Traffic Control personnel that a stray canine was running amuck along the single runway around 5pm. The dog …

San Diego Gas & Electric held a symbolic ground breaking near here last week, launching the construction of their $1.9 billion Sunrise Powerlink, the 117-miles electric transmission line that the utility promises will transport electricity …

Mama's Kitchen, which has provided meals for people with AIDS and cancer for years, has lost its longtime lease at 1875 Second Avenue and the church property is up for sale. The nonprofit has a …

Barnard Elementary School-located at 2930 Barnard Street in the Midway District recently returned from a trip to China. The Mandarin Chinese K-6 magnet school forged an official sister school alliance with the 65-year old Chongqing …

One hundred or so students at Point Loma Nazarene University have recently come down with the norovirus &mdash otherwise known as the "cruise ship disease." Several students reported cases of gastrointestinal upset over the first …

While Thanksgiving Day diners at the Carlsbad Marie Callender's, just off Palomar Airport Rd., enjoyed mashed potatoes, gravy, and pie, little did they know that their opportunity to enjoy the popular family-style, comfort food, would …

At 5:19 into the first cut, Simmons’s alto and Barbara Donald's trumpet hit a huge skidding smear — a show-off driver on a slick road, hopped up maybe, hits the brake and the gas at …

I have to admit, I am not the biggest Dandy Warhols fan. In fact, until this week, I was not real familiar with their music. After watching some YouTube videos of their shows, however, I …

The fight surrounding seals and the public’s access to Children's Pool in La Jolla resurfaced during the San Diego Planning Commission's December 9 meeting. The commission heard an appeal of a September 15 decision to …

Community garden advocacy groups want the city to ease the burden on those looking to start urban gardens. They claim the gardens help neighborhoods become sustainable, promote a healthy lifestyle, soak up storm water, and …

A major frustration with social media is also one of its best attributes: it follows you everywhere. And, that means EVERYWHERE. Technology has made us better connected than ever before, and offers us the opportunity …

So maybe you were outsourced over the past few years, lost your job and you’re still trying to figure out how to get your old gig as an office administrator back without moving to India. …

Oooooh... Beautiful cover (“Our Desperate Neighbors,” December 2). Sharon MurphyEl Cajon Hard Times, Great Place I am glad that you, our neighbor, have published an article on the Imperial Valley (“Our Desperate Neighbors,” Cover Story, …

Featuring former members of Destroy the Runner and As I Lay Dying, retro rockers Chapter 14 drop a new five-song EP this week, Like Trees in November, which — like the band’s name — is …

Partiers began to arrive at Hector Cortes’s San Marcos home about 5:00 p.m. His common-law wife had decorated the garage with a “Happy Birthday” banner and set up chairs and a big table for food …

Children wound up from the morning’s thunder and lightning crowd under the lunch arbor at Chesterton Elementary in Linda Vista. Their voices echo under the tin roof that protects them from the light, misty rain. …

Thirty-Five Years AgoMirroring college campuses across the country, political activism at UCSD drew to a close with the winding down of the Vietnam War. But recent disclosures of CIA activities and the university’s agreement to …

“I didn’t know at the time these songs were going to become a record, let alone one with my name [on it],” writes multi-instrumentalist Kenseth Thibideau about his debut solo effort Repetition, which he wrote, …

San Diego native Mark Stuart moved to Austin four years ago for two reasons. “I needed a change. I just had a divorce.” Plus there was that music thing. The singer-songwriter-guitarist was behind country-rock band …

Founded in 2004 as an internet-based operation, TakeLessons has grown from 6 local employees (all still with the company) to over 40 staffers working in customer support, student sales, teacher-hiring, marketing, software development, and operations. …

Thursday 9Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band is a five-piece indie-rock outfit from the Seattle area. Can’t swing a dead cat, right? Wrong. They got that ridonkulous name, for one, a 15-year-old drummer, and they debuted …

Every Christmas, fat, multicolored Christmas lights line the rain gutters of the Kelly home. My husband Patrick bought them as a protest against the proliferation of white icicle lights dripping from our neighbor’s eaves. “Santa …

Seattle’s Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band introduced itself to the world a couple of years ago with some hilarious, cheesy online videos made to look like one of those TV commercials pitching a compilation of …

Matthew Vasquez swears that he still busks for spare change. “I made, like, 30 bucks on a street corner in Kensington, London, a couple of months ago.” He has busked regularly since he was a …

“We play a broad mix of acoustic and electronic styles,” says Nathan Samuels, who programs the melodies and beats for downtempo trip-hop trio XIV. The band uses an array of keyboards, guitars, trumpets, and analog …

In Hollywood terms, Christmas is, like the Golden Globes, only a glittering harbinger of the Oscars. With the gifts starting to pile up, we venture boldly: The King’s Speech As masters of speech, British actors …

What is a home without children? Quiet. — Henny Youngman I didn’t even have a chance to finish saying “Yo” before Jane cut me off — “Help,” she said. I could tell by the panic …

Membership: 200 people Pastor: Father George Calvert Age: 54 Born: San Diego Formation: University of California–Berkeley, Berkeley; Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va.; Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena Years Ordained: 24 San Diego Reader: How long do …

All buildings begin as ideas. Yet, not all have an aura to develop into a story of their own, a story uninhibited from the architect’s will and its client’s desires. Like the houses we dwell …

When I saw her, or rather the last time I saw her, I was living on a screen porch in the back of a dilapidated house, one of those houses that makes you feel good …

Crystal-clear skies are visiting us again, as Santa Ana winds swoop down intermittently from the northeast, as cold winds blow from the north, or as high pressure invades the county and lingers here for a …

Continuing with Judy Fridono, 52, certified professional dog-trainer focusing on service dogs and training service dogs for disabled people. Or used to be. Nowadays, it’s philanthropy. Fridono’s new career came by way of a homemade …

Two days ago I was discharged from UCSD Hospital after open-heart surgery, during which one of my coronary valves was replaced with a metallic (rather than porcine) one. I have been moving very slowly since …

Sorry, Carla. I’m in love. With Madeleine. Whoever Madeleine is. It’s Thursday morning, South Park, the sun’s coming and going, but that’s okay. Here on the dogleg between Fern and 30th, life feels good. You …

Yes, I know. When I reviewed Addison in December 2006, shortly after its opening, I swore, “I wouldn’t go back there if somebody paid me — and somebody does.” Service conformed to some vulgar idea …

To His people, God the Lord is simultaneously the God of retribution and the God of love. In the same breath, they call on Him as “our God” and as “King of the universe,” or …

There are many ways of profaning the Name, and one must be constantly mindful of the glory of his Creator. In whatever one does, he must be alert and careful that it does not produce …

José Lopez, president of the Fox Canyon Neighborhood Association in City Heights, started a letter-writing campaign to lobby city-council members to support a grant proposal that would address a problem corner at 50th Street and …

Strapped for cash, the City of San Diego is looking for private movers, according to a recent request for bid for “office relocation services” posted on its website. The City “requires the services of a …

On October 29, Democrat Toni Atkins, who won her race for California State Assembly, received a $2000 contribution from Arizona-based Republic Services, parent of Allied Waste, which is interested in taking over the City-run Miramar …

Lobbyist and ex-Tribune reporter Al Ziegaus and his Southwest Strategies have gone to bat for Walmart in the company’s all-out war against San Diego city hall. According to recent filings, Ziegaus and sidekick Clint Carney …

At last, securities regulators seem to be realizing that illegal insider trading is a way of life among operators of hedge funds. And so is lying to government investigators, concealing documents and emails, obstructing justice, …

"Something has to change at the track. We need new energy. We need to excite new people, and this new betting system is going to do that,” says Carl Hilliard in a soft voice. He’s …

For years, North Park neighbors of the Bluefoot Lounge have complained about excessive noise coming from the bar and noise and litter from patrons walking through the neighborhood to their cars late at night. Tensions …

Michella Dresselhuys, owner of Fashion Kiss, a ladies clothing and accessories boutique on date Avenue in La Mesa, reported to police on Friday, December 4 that between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm a thief stole …

With their debut studio effort, San Diego all-star band Midnight Rivals has produced a beer-soaked, full-tilt rock ’n’ roll record. Guitarists-songwriters Morgan Smith and Mike Santos have crafted tunes that reflect influences that range from …

Going into a mainstream rap show, not to mention one featuring a longtime crew on a reunion tour, you shouldn't be all too surprised when they hit the stage over four hours late. Palpable anger …

The phrase "visually stunning" is overused in show business, but a more appropriate description for the performance put on by former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters is not to be had. Once again, San Diego …

Do I look rich or like an easy mark? I guess so because oftentimes when I am in the University Heights library applying for jobs on my laptop, someone targets me looking for a handout. …

David Kreitzer spoke during the public-comment portion of the November 30 San Diego City Council meeting to ask the council to review the sudden enforcement of an old ordinance that has affected the city-provided collection …

Okay, I'm not a big fan of hip-hop and rap. I'm just too old-fashioned to appreciate lyrics that call women "bitches" and "hos" to project sexuality in songs. The great R&B and soul singers of …

Valley View Casino Arena was awash in the pastel finery of the waltz when André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra brought their colorful musical variety show to town. Regaling the elder-leaning crowd with classical …

Protesters from San Diego Stop Puppy Mills stood outside the Pet Works store at Grossmont Center on December 4. The group, which has been protesting regularly outside of the store for nearly two years, claims …

It is not a crime to be poor in the United States, but according to a report from the Supportive Parents Information Network (SPIN), many San Diego applicants for the San Diego County Health and …

Sherry Luft is a participant and founding member of the Job Seekers Club at South Metro Career Center. Let’s start with what line of work you’re in. How and when did you become unemployed? I …

People upset with the handling of the Diana Gonzalez case plan to march silently from City College to the San Diego district attorney’s office on Thursday, December 9. Gonzalez was murdered at City College on …

I'll start with the thing I can't get out of my head. A co-worker had apparently, partly witnessed that poor kid commit suicide on the 78 this week in Vista. We had all started work …

In July 2008, in response to objections from Uptown residents about a proposal to build a 12-story residential and commercial tower on the corner of University and Fourth Avenue, councilmembers imposed temporary height restrictions on …

Three years ago Jonathon Hale, now 30, was working in a tiny cubicle in Sorrento Valley. He was miserable. His girlfriend had left him months earlier to work on a cruise ship, and his college …

During a People’s Co-Op board of directors meeting in November, minutes show that the co-op faced an "intervention — in the form of a motion made by members" to face the co-op's reliance on plastic. …

Oceanside residents were disappointed last month when a popular Italian restaurant closed its doors. Capozzoli's, at 3915 Mission Avenue, had posted a sign that read: “Closed one week for remodeling.” Last week the closed sign …

After spending significant time in Prague, Czech Republic in 2000, Jesse and I were itching to go south to the Italian beaches, and decided to take a grueling 26-hour bus ride from Prague to Naples. …

Perhaps it was said best by the great Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” Further, he said, “Begin – to begin is half the work, let half …

It came as no surprise November 30 when Southwestern College’s superintendent Dr. Raj Chopra announced his resignation, effective the same day. Chopra’s contract was not due to expire until June 2012, but according to a …

Shortly after 9 p.m. on Tuesday, November 30, numerous police cars arrived at the corner of University Avenue and 58th Street. After blocking off 58th Street, police cordoned off a block of apartments on the …

The City of Chula Vista does not want to be “outgunned,” according to councilmember Steve Castaneda. Following that idea, the entire council voted for a no-bid purchase of a Lenco BearCat armored tactical vehicle at …

On Monday, November 29, a fire started in the garage of a residence on Mt. Burnham Court just after 9:30 a.m. The garage of the rental home had been used for growing marijuana, according to …

"The City needs to stop using the general fund to subsidize services that are funded by user fees in most other cities," said Bob Nelson, chair of the Citizens Revenue Review and Economic Competitiveness Commission. …

Six Poems by Maram Al-Massri You must have forgotten your papers and returned to retrieve them. Or a friend must have called and begun to chatter as you were about to leave. Or you must …

Great food is like great sex. The more you have, the more you want. — Gael Greene A toast was made to friendship; glasses full of sparkling gold clinked, and our smiles reflected the warmth …

Suite and Tender is heartily sorry for what it did when it first opened and is doing sincere penance — and doing it well. I would never have gone back, but then I phoned the …

Membership: 200 Pastor: Jim Carpenter Age: 58 Born: Denver, Colorado Formation: University of Denver, Denver, Colorado; Denver Seminary, Littleton, Colorado; Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena Years Ordained: 33 San Diego Reader: Can you think of a …

Driving west on I-8, down from the dry, rugged mountains, diving into what should be a desert landscape 100 miles east of San Diego, the Imperial Valley appears as an agricultural oasis. Miles of irrigated …

“Bands are fun but I’m not really a leader or a follower, so I get along better by myself,” writes Doug Barker, lead man — only man, for that matter — for San Diego band …

Larry Zeiger has wanted to make a music video ever since he recorded his concept album Meetchu in Machu Picchu last year. Not just a video, he says, correcting himself, but a musical film with …

Balboa Park’s easternmost section, aligned with 28th Street, isn’t well known among most San Diegans, let alone tourists. North Parkians, South Parkians, and Golden Hilliers, along with local golfers, do know of several out-of-the-way features …

Heymatt: Another cold, gloomy day here at the beach. Winter sucks. I’ve been trying to think of a cure short of moving to the Equator. It occurred to me that I could sleep all winter …

“There’s always room for Jell-O,” right? That’s what Eric Boucher hoped in 1979 when he adopted that ad slogan to help spread the word in his bid for mayor of San Francisco. This happened during …

November marks a decade since singer-songwriter-guitarist Jason Blackmore, known to friends as “Captain Blackie,” left his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, for San Diego. “I didn’t know anybody,” Blackmore says over a beer at the …

In the title track from his new album, Us, Brother Ali raps, “Started rhyming just to be somebody/ To make people notice me at the party/ And not be just a new kid that’s albino/ …

Thursday 2House of Blues exhumes Dead Kennedys. The SanFran band was at the eye of the hardcore storm in the early ’80s, churning out punk anthems such as “California Über Alles,” “Holiday in Cambodia,” and …

"Yoo-hoo! Hello?” I’m back behind the gas station here, next to the tire shop…in Mr. Sagmani’s place. Yes, his eatery takes a bit of finding. But, for me, it came just in time. Was getting …

What are you reading? Monica: “Crank, by Ellen Hopkins, and Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous. Crank is about a girl who went from living a normal life, being a straight-A student, to being an every-day …

It’s Got It All Thank you, Siobhan Braun, for your multilayered perspective on love, youth, aging, hope, attitudes (for better or for worse), and transcending borders (Cover Story, November 24). This feature is a treasure …

If plays are boxing matches with an audience, they all throw punches, some solid, some glancing, some airy nothing. Plays that linger counterpunch. These land on your way out the door, in the parking lot, …

One year ago I wrote a column about Judy Fridono, a North County certified professional dog trainer, and Ricochet, a golden retriever, canine surfer, and philanthropist at large. Fridono acquired puppy Ricochet to train as …

Burning bright for seven years, a Depression-era venture in Tijuana lit up the blueprint that Las Vegas would follow. The old Agua Caliente is the subject of Satan’s Playground: Mobsters and Movie Stars at America’s …

Thirty-Five Years AgoNo matter what obstacles are thrust in front of San Diego massage parlors — police raids, housewife marches, TV documentaries on sin-for-sale — they’re still here with us, flourishing as never before.... “There …

Burlesque Christina (howl like it hurts) Aguilera plays Ali, short for Alice, a cute-as-pie Iowa waitress with aspirations of Sunset Strip stardom. By means of contrived necessity (that is to say, she walks by the …

When the Israelites did that wicked deed [constructed and worshipped the golden calf] Moses sought to appease God, who was angry with them. He said, “Lord of the universe! They have made an assistant for …

“I remember sitting on Brian’s couch in his studio with a trash can in my hands, in case I were to lose my cookies,” recalls Scott West, who recorded his new California Christmas album with …

Eric Leitstein spent 13 years building up Canes, the oceanfront venue that brought Prince, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, and Snoop Dogg to Mission Beach. In October of last year, Leitstein was squeezed out when landlord …

Mayor Jerry Sanders, who in reality has no intention of cleaning up the City’s fecal finances, says he opposes a City bankruptcy. Councilmember Carl DeMaio, who does want to deterge the fetid finances (as long …

Stephanie Durkee was tending to children in the school cafeteria when she heard someone swearing. “Fuck AIG!” somebody yelled. It sounded like a man out on the schoolyard. She walked a few steps to the …