I pull up to the line where "occasional" vendors purchase a spot, and am greeted with a "got a sellers permit?" by a less than enthusiastic employee of the swap-meet. After securing a space, I …

As I drive south out of Napa Valley after a weeklong housesit, I stop at Prager Winery and Portworks in quaint St. Helena on the recommendation of a friend. The tasting room is in a …

It's my belief that it's only polite to affix an explanatory license plate holder around an ambiguous license plate. If I can't decipher your jumbled, vowel-free catchphrase at a glance, your money has been wasted. …

You might find yourself in Manila on a stopover on your way to some of the country’s most pristine beaches – or on the way home from Thailand. Whatever your reason, Manila does have some …

I’m always surprised at the number of Southern California residents who have never been to Catalina Island. My family spent quite a few summers on the island, and it’s the perfect opportunity to get away …

When I saw “Card Services” on the Caller ID, I assumed spending money on the other side of the country had spooked one of my credit card accounts into thinking there was a possible fraud. …

The Google Maps “Street View car” was making it rounds on Eighth Street in Imperial Beach on July 27 when it pulled into Veterans Park and stopped. The driver introduced himself as “Google Mike” and …

Two individuals have reported being hit by water balloons thrown by youths from vehicles while on the 4800-5200 blocks of La Jolla Boulevard. A renter living in the 5100 block claimed to have been hit …

“There are a lot of hockey fans in San Diego because there are a lot of people here from somewhere else,” Stout Public House bartender Daniel McCullough tells me. “Since they don’t have anywhere else …

My friend Audrey and I hadn’t been in touch of late and finally settled on a time to catch up. “Where shall we meet?” she asked. “I really just want to hang out but also …

Who can resist eavesdropping? Not me. Debbie, the owner of an O.B. eatery named Tower Two; Elsa, the interior designer; Melalee, the kindergarten teacher; and Brenda, who, along with her husband Jong, owns this joint …

So, last week, the Box introduced Monarch School, a kindergarten-through-12th-grade public/private school (don’t ask) for homeless children and children affected by homelessness, located in downtown San Diego. This is the outfit Blair Cannon, aka swimmer …

“I call my music ‘Brooklyn style,’” says Puerto Rican vocalist Zulayka. “I mix R&B, Latin, house, hip-hop, traditional Spanish, Caribbean, and reggaeton sounds in a synth-driven pop/dance format. After 15 years in the music business, …

On April 2, 2001, VH1 debuted a competitive reality TV show called Bands on the Run. The concept was to have four unsigned bands compete for a prize package that included $150,000 in cash, equipment, …

You may remember him as Tonex (pronounced “To-nay”). The young mega-talent, who won a Craig Noel Award for Dreamgirls in 2008, changed his name. He’s now B. Slade. His skills have changed a bit, too. …

In 1991, director Joe Johnston brought us The Rocketeer, in which a decent All-American guy chances upon the means to become a superhero. This enables him to take on the Nazi menace and its plan …

I’m choking on the drifting smell of Mrs. Fields cookies as I stare into the eyes of the middle-aged woman. Her look conveys doubt as I reach out and place my hand on her wrist. …

From the trailmaster’s favorites folder. "Limmipedes,” my three-year-old son called them, those many-legged survivors from the Mesozoic era, marching across the sand in seemingly random directions, oblivious to our flashlight beams. Our land of limmipedes, …

The deed is done. Last night David and I slept in our new home for the first time. We have moved the bulk of our things from the Egyptian (the name of our old condo …

“Summer’s here and the time is right for dancin’ in the street.” And today is as summer as you get in this city. Pop lyrics are triggered, which is a major improvement on heat rash …

My roommate Eli’s birthday falls on the same day as the Cremation of Care ritual at the annual elite getaway in Bohemian Grove, where politicians, bankers, and reptilian overlords spend two weeks pissing on old …

After decades of choral experience that included singing with the Tucson Boys Chorus and at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Missouri, Gary Holt became artistic director for the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus in …

Giovanni Abarca, 18, pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor, in exchange for dropped felony charges — including rape of an intoxicated person — according to prosecutor Kate Flaherty. Abarca …

Rarely has Coronado been so abuzz. In the early morning of July 13, a young naked woman hanged herself (or did she?) at the Spreckels mansion on Ocean Boulevard. Two days before, a six-year-old boy …

The website of local watchdog Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN) has a photo of executive director Michael Shames. Underneath, it says that Shames “serves as an expert witness and attorney on behalf of UCAN.” (Italics …

When I first heard of Kurt Vile, I thought he must have taken his stage name in honor of Kurt Weill, the composer best known for The Threepenny Opera. (Weill’s name is pronounced “vile.”) I …

Democratic Congressman Bob Filner, who has declared his candidacy for mayor of San Diego, took a free trip to Paris last month courtesy of a group of Iranian-Americans from Colorado tied to a controversial organization …

Piggybank Heist. On Friday, July 1, Alice police officers arrested a man for stealing ten dollars from a child’s piggybank. Daniel Zurovec was part of a work crew installing screens at a residence. Two juveniles …

Now thou hast loved me one whole day. Tomorrow when thou leav’st, what wilt thou say? Wilt thou then antedate some new-made vow? Or say that now We are not just those persons which we …

Pharmacy’s release party for No Drugs Included happens Friday, August 5, at the Go Lounge in La Mesa. “One of the covers we plan on doing is an old Zeros song,” says frontwoman Kitten Johnson. …

Gardening Tips Kudos to Susan Luzzaro on her article (City Lights: “How Did We Get in This Mess?” July 21). It is probably worth peeling the onion one or two more layers when it comes …

Thirty-Five Years Ago<br>SAM: WE’RE THROUGH, you airhead. Jack is meeting me this Friday at City College to see “That Scoundrel Scapin.” Eileen. ANGEL, SORRY we couldn’t finish the voyage, but rock and roll is calling …

This year there were two milestones in Richard Livoni’s life. He turned 60 in July and, following a hiatus of nearly 30 years, he decided to resurrect rock trio the Blitz Brothers. “We’re gonna do …

“What’s different?” asked Patrick. “I didn’t have time for mascara this morning.” “Oh.” He didn’t say any more, but I knew what he was thinking: She really does look better with mascara. “A lot of …

The appearance of Virtue in its fullest exuberance is no more than the result of compliance with the Tao. Tao, considered as an entity, is obscure and vague. Vague and obscure! yet within it there …

Slightly Stoopid says the band is a master of the “stealth groove.” That’s when you sneak a melodic hook or two into a long-winded jam. Otherwise, the laid-back Jack Johnson imprint abides. More skatepunk in …

Membership: 600 Denomination: Independent Christian Pastor: Bill Trok Age: 49 Born: Chicago Formation: Talbot School of Theology-Biola University, La Mirada Years Ordained: 20 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon? Pastor …

About 2400 Comic-Con attendees crowded into a ballroom at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel every morning of the world’s largest comic convention July 21–24, some arriving as early as 1:00 a.m. They were there to …

On July 22 in downtown San Diego, several expensive cars and SUVs pulled up to the red curb in front of the Family Court building at 1555 Sixth Avenue and parked. A man who identified …

After living in Prague for over a year, my Czech girlfriend, Katka, and I wanted to get out of the city and go on a summer holiday. At the time, in 2000, it was relatively …

Just the other day, late in the afternoon, I was sitting on the couch, reading the Reader (yes, really!), when I sensed something large watching me through the front picture window in our living room. …

It takes a strong set of binoculars to see past North County privilege and beautiful women in stupid hats to catch the new Seaside Stage at Del Mar. Only those with focus could ignore the …

Just in time to thwart the summertime blues comes the auditory salve of Rubblebucket's sophomore full-length, a collection of prog-pop glory that often sounds like an indulgence-free Yes. Kalmia Traver provides captivating, ethereal vocals for …

As with most people who hover over a computer for hours on end, I have my visual vices. Unlike dudes, who probably go straight to the porn sites (I'm not saying I don't, just that …

It’s a common question: “What’s your dad do?” It’s natural for people to inquire after another’s parents, to gather information to assist in making those assessments of others that are in our nature to make. …

If you have been searching for a new job you have probably run across phrases such as the following, which I’ve taken directly from published job openings: Minimum of 10 years EXPERIENCE in property management, …

On July 22, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 569 celebrated the installation of two new electric-vehicle charging stations powered by solar panels on their building’s Clairemont Mesa roof. Senator Christine Kehoe and representatives …

Bonnie Trown of United Truck Driving School explains how you can get your foot in the door as a truck driver. Let’s start with a brief rundown of your school. United Truck Driving School has …

“Oh, boy, guess what!” Robert called from his living room throne, a modern recliner on which he is stationed much of the time. Ency, David, and I were in the next room, hunching over a …

The latest victim of the stormy U.S. economy seems to be the management that runs our companies. Maritz Research of St. Louis reports that its latest employee poll found 25 percent of workers have less …

At first, I was scared to share this story about me getting deported. First of all, I am not a good writer yet. I am only 16 years old. English is my second language. Spanish …

Danny Vinci splashed gasoline on his ex-wife in a parking lot full of witnesses, on March 11, 2010. The woman had gone to an Oceanside dance studio to pick up her granddaughter, as she always …

Death Valley is just that – a low-lying valley cradled between three monstrous mountain ranges. And frankly, there isn’t another way to describe it other than to assure you that it is bloody majestic! The …

Warning: the following may make you feel the full weight of the modern guy/gal's addiction to well-produced, low-cost goods consumed en masse. (Yes, Starbucks.) Our last night of holiday travel, we were in Ipanema and …

The Copper Canyon region is 25,000 square miles across almost one-third of the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. The Chihuahua al Pacifico train route from Los Mochis passes through the farmland of Sinaloa and …

Ukrainian-born stonemason Sam Kolivayko, 48, has spent the past two months building a series of stone pilasters at the junction of the City Heights and Talmadge, on the northeast corner of Fairmount and Meade avenues. …

An increase in the number of robberies in Zona Centro — the downtown sector of Tijuana — has aroused the ire of local businessmen who believe the uptick in crime is bad for business, especially …

Tuesday, July 19, was an ordinary day in the National City Borders store. Customers at the Westfield Plaza Bonita location were browsing, studying, and drinking coffee. When asked, few people realized that the Borders chain …

Heymatt: My dog lifts his leg to pee. My cats don’t. I don’t know about other animals. Why does my dog do that, or why don’t my cats do that? Do any other animals lift …

Recipe by Rene Herbeck, executive chef, Au Revoir Bistro My dad was in the Foreign Legion and when he was in Vietnam, he met my mother. I was born there and lived in Vietnam until …

It’s going to take a little while to get there — “there” being the sports side of things. But, on the happy side of the street, we’re already two sentences closer. I’ll begin with Joel …

Punk Love. “It actually started as a joke,” says Kyle Pagel. He is a promoter of punk shows and part owner of an indie punk label in Riverside called Muy Autentico. “There’s a guy we …

Thirty-Five Years Ago<br>At a mock Hollywood party in one scene of Rodgers and Hart, the pleasant musical revue at the Carter Centre Stage, a drunken partygoer makes the bold confession: “I’m heterosexual!” This is a …

I’d spent most of a hot muggy afternoon at the dentist’s office, getting inspected and x-rayed and filling out a long, nosy form that began with “Are you alive? Y/N.” The obvious thing to do …

“Okay, Goldilocks. Have a nice hair day.” That’s me to Carla. It’s my day off. We’re in the Crown City — Coronado — for her date with Diane, “the greatest stylist in the universe.” “Hair …

Dave? Is That You? I would like to comment on “Where Do They Go When the Races Are Over?” (Cover Story, July 14). First, I think society should be more evolved so that races are …

I regret missing A Little Help, which last fall won Best Narrative Feature at downtown’s San Diego Film Festival. Still, a pleasure deferred is not always lost, and the revelation of the picture is Jenna …

On July 30, Lestat’s Coffeehouse will rock and jangle in homage to the Los Angeles music scene centered around the Sunset Strip during the mid 1960s, featuring music by Love, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and …

Toronto’s prolific Fucked Up is simultaneously the most punk rock and most un-punk rock band in the world. On the punk side, of course, there’s a name that’s unutterable on the radio or TV. There’s …

“I’m an East Coaster,” says Pennsylvania native Michael McGraw at the Alibi in Hillcrest. “I have a little moodiness and I’ve come to embrace it. The music we’re making now is true to that.” McGraw …

Blackout Party singer/songwriter Brian Holwerda chats with me between waiting tables at Café Japengo and finishing BP’s second album, Closed Mouth Don’t Get Fed. “In my late teens I played in a band called Fine …

Mickey Mouse has AIDS! The 64-year-old, four-fingered rodent with the big, black ears, was infected with HIV in the first experiment of its kind in the U.S.A. "I don't know how it happened," said the …

Membership: 1450 Pastor: Jim Young Age: 65 Born: Los Angeles Formation: Concordia University, Seward, Neb.; University of Lincoln, Neb.; Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. Years Ordained: 35 San Diego Reader: How long do you …

If hell has a jukebox, it plays black metal. Taken as a whole, the genre’s anti-Christian, pro-Satan polemic — with distorted guitars, bursts of drumming, and vocals that resemble the howling of a tormented beast …

“This is the first year that I’ll be coming in under a professional badge,” says local comic writer Carolyn Watson Dubisch. “My plans are to hand out preview copies of my books and, as dorky …

Originally known as Imig Manor, the Lafayette Hotel opened in 1946 and hosted Bob Hope as their inaugural guest. The hotel closed its doors 14 years later and, in 2010, began a $4 million overhaul …

Fans of the movie Citizen Kane will remember the “declaration of principles” read by publisher Charles Foster Kane, played by Orson Welles, to his prep-school buddy, Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten), right after they take over …

The nonprofit Sunlight Foundation is out with some interesting new information about a relatively little-known but popular practice: big corporations and unions giving large sums of money to charitable activities favored by congressmembers, senators, and …

A Medusa has moved into my neighborhood. I live in San Francisco, three blocks from Haight Street. I don’t go down there much because it’s sordid with shoe stores, out-of-towners, homeless folk, and all-purpose muckiness. …

GOP congressman Brian Bilbray, fresh from his skeet-shooting fund-raiser in the hunt country of Virginia last month, will soon be back among Southern California’s landed gentry with a genteel fund-raiser set for July 23 at …

The story is as old as Avon. A salesperson slips into your social sphere, and the “social” invitations follow. But these aren’t casual, gather-round-the-teapot chatter fests – they’re nets cast far and wide, for the …

We all have them — just like opinions and that other thing to which opinions are often compared. I’m speaking of pet peeves. You may deny it, like Debra Johns, 26, of Chula Vista, who …

Over the past two years, the economy and stocks have generally gone in opposite directions. In the economy, we have suffered the steepest downturn and the weakest recovery since the Great Depression, but since early …

Pink Army began as a trio of Tween girls in 2008 — Charisma Kain, Alicia Randolph, and Lia Johnson. The group is modeled after Disney Channel/Nickelodeon stars such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. “Our …

On June 21, Sweetwater Union High School District bought out superintendent Jesus Gandara’s contract for $416,675. Last November, Southwestern College paid superintendent Raj Chopra $100,000 to walk away from his contract. Prior to the buyouts, …

Europe is the Church, and the Church is Europe. It is immaterial to the historical value of this historical truth whether it be presented to a man who utterly rejects Catholic dogma or to a …

My daughter and I went on a Sunday drive July 17 on Black Mountain Road. We came to a large flat rock and decided to get out of the car and sit in the sun...but …

Today, July 18, at the Vista courthouse, a 61-year-old Carlsbad man admitted to molesting a 5-year-old girl on Dog Beach in Del Mar more than a year ago. William Wright Harris was free on his …

At 9:00 p.m. on July 13, Steve Adler, founder of Friarhood.com, a website for Padres fans, posted a poll on the site’s Facebook page: Should the Padres bring back Dick Enberg for the 2012 season? …

When things go so wrong, when the chasm between expectation and reality reaches such ludicrous depths, the only sane thing left to do is laugh. Hysterically. This is especially easy to do when you realize …

On July 15, more than 200 people rallied in a Vons parking lot in Serra Mesa in support of grocery workers. The local chapter of the United Food & Commercial Workers and the San Diego …

Given the lyrical content of his songs on Eleven Eleven, you'd expect to find Dave Alvin in a joint that reeks of cheap beer, second-hand smoke, and maybe the coppery scent of freshly spilled blood. …

By the time the soundman got the mix right, which was about four songs into the set, a near-capacity crowd had climbed over numerous spilled drinks and filled every nook and cranny of the Belly …

There’s one thing I don’t understand about San Diegans: why would you want to go to the beach on the 4th of July when you can go there 365 days a year? I mean the …

Some colorful, detailed graffiti that was painted on a retaining wall overlooking Kellogg Beach in La Playa earlier in July has been painted away. Concerned neighbors called police gang units to come out and take …

Gloucester is usually a sleepy seaside town, known for commercial fishing and tourism. But when my girlfriend and I visited our friends Courtney and Chris, who recently moved to the area, the town was thronged …

A crowd of about 80 protesters lined Sports Arena Boulevard on the afternoon of July 14. They were there in anticipation of the opening of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ four-day run at …

According to reports and SDPD community relations officer Rene Murillo, Kensington has experienced an increase in crime from January through June, with most of the crime spiking in April and May. In this five-month span, …

This black lab is one lucky dog. She was one of 20 dogs taken to the Humane Society’s facility in Oceanside in the two days after the Fourth of July weekend. Her relieved owners came …

According to the Fleetwood’s bar manager and head bartender Mike Garcia, the stirrers and shakers at the eatery have revamped the menu to accommodate good times and higher temperatures. Bartending for 12 years, Garcia says …

Plenty of musical events are happening at and around Comic-Con next week. On Thursday, July 21, Japanese rocker Yoshiki (X Japan) will debut his Blood Red Dragon #0 comic, cocreated with former Marvel mainman Stan …

On June 4, I awoke to an otherwise awesome Saturday, fired up the ol’ email, and clicked open a message from one of San Diego’s finest local chefs. What I saw horrified me. One of …

"Everything here is imported,” Kaitlyn says. “Everything?” I ask. “Everything, except for Ferrila and me.” Ferrila, the other barista, gives a little wave from the strangest espresso machine you ever did see. It’s like a …

“My first race was at Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino. I was 15 and it was Legends cars.” El Cajon’s Chase Catania, now 20 years old, is talking into a tinny cell phone from …

Jeremy Messersmith has a voice so gentle that it makes Elliott Smith sound like Tom Waits. It’s the kind of voice that’s made for lullabies, and I once saw Messersmith use it to charm a …

Hey, Matthew: Why can’t we have blue or green hair? We can have blue or green eyes, and isn’t melanin responsible for coloring our hair and our eyes? So why no blue hair? — Anonymous, …

And where do they go — not after the gates spring open — but after the race is run, after all their races are run? After the society matrons’ $1000 hats are back in the …

Ralph De Lauro Film program director, Central Library and Cinema Under the Stars Napoleon, by Abel Gance. All sparks and pinwheels. Gance’s silent thrill ride is long, sentimental, and simplistic, yet it’s bursting at the …

The great deed is done. Seven novels published, selling 450 million copies. Eight movies made for over $1 billion, their income over $6 billion and soon rising to over $7 billion as the last film …

Drummer Bill Ray has played with dozens of local groups (Tubby, Playground Slap, the Wild Truth), though he’s probably best known from Ike Turner’s band, having appeared on the late rocker’s Grammy-winning 2006 album Risin’ …

“Strange things are happening to this land,” said Luisa Moreno in 1949. “Yes, tragically the unmistakable signs are before us…who really love America. And it is we who must sound the alarm, for the workers …

“We knew it from the get-go,” says Electric Healing Sound rhythm guitarist Ricky Soltero when I refer to the Velvet Underground. “We even cover ‘Waiting for My Man’ live. We don’t hide our influences.” Soltero …

Continental is Rick Barton’s newest band. They are presently on the road and would like to crash at your house. It says so on their Facebook page. “We have sleeping bags, will need floor space.” …

Correction The story on the Reader website titled “Helix Water District’s Info Flow Questioned,” by Grant Madden, included many factual errors. We regret posting it with minimal fact-checking. Lucid Brews Ed Bedford’s “Beer Heaven” cover …

Since The Tempest opened in 1611, people have wondered where Shakespeare located its strange, enchanted isle. Prospero’s enemies are returning to Naples from a wedding at Tunis. A storm blasts them onto the rocks of …

The ex-mayor of Brawley, Daniel Paramo, has been appointed acting warden at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa. A San Diego State University graduate and a former Brawley city councilman, Paramo has …

The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s master concession agreement with HMSHost is expiring next year, and the battle over a replacement has turned into a gold rush for local lobbyists. With the competition reportedly …

Once again, Americans are beginning to talk about guns versus butter. Do we want to remain a military superpower, or do we want our social safety net and our corporate welfare programs? In San Diego, …

Three fishermen at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon were nabbed by the Department of Fish and Game for fishing violations on July 12. Acting on a tip, wardens confronted the suspects on the banks of a …

“We’re not just a weed station that talks about weed all day.” Michael “Ras Mike” Callahan is co-owner of Nug Radio (NugRadio.com), an offshoot of marijuana advocacy publication NUG Magazine. Call­ahan’s broadcast partners include NUG …

Contact: 2528 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego; 619-299-6812; ecbchurchofchrist.org Membership: 130 Pastor: John Manor Age: 43 Born: Monterey Formation: San Diego State University Years Ordained: 3 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing …

“I don’t know of any other mimes that have written songs, unless you consider Charlie Chaplin, who did write and record music for his movies,” says singer/songwriter Larry Keough. Having spent over a decade as …

“Mosaic of the Nativity: Serbia, Winter 1993” On the domed ceiling God is thinking: I made them my joy, and everything else I created I made to bless them. But see what they do! I …

“According to Tim Allen, the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance,” smiled my friend Kate, gazing at our overgrown backyard. “And grilling and serenading wives,” I added, winking at …

Thirty-Five Years Ago Jerry Ford and Ronald Reagan use them. So does the Chicano Federation. As a matter of fact, almost no political happening would be official without them. Security guards are the new symbols …

Would it be okay if an O.B. resident kept a couple chickens in their backyard? Rachel Hiner of the Urban Food Network posed that question last week at the monthly meeting of the Ocean Beach …

Although a longtime fan of hot tubs, my first experience in a natural hot spring was outside of Taos, New Mexico. As the sun was setting over the mesa, I climbed for an hour on …

You just can’t trust people. Beneath every bit of apparent altruism, of friendliness and good intentions, under the layers of pretense we spend a lifetime collecting and carefully positioning...we are, each of us, in every …

“It's like everyone is on a vacation. An extra pep is in the air.” This statement came from an acquaintance of mine who opened up a restaurant in Palm Desert. His customers continually wore smiles …

“It’s totally safe, man,” said Sergio as he swigged his beer bottle and sucked on a cigarette. “Women walk around at night. Kids play in the streets. No problem.” My friends in Pittsburgh were horrified …

Everyone knows that it is an employer’s market today. High unemployment continues, and the people who hire workers have never had such abundant choices. Downsizings and business failures of the past three or four years …

I looked at the device in my hand and then up at my father. “There’s no picture, it’s just all black,” I said. “I know, I know, it’s just sound. Go on, press play.” He …

Right when the weather and water get warm enough to enjoy refreshing ocean swims off Bermuda Beach (at the foot of Bermuda Avenue in Ocean Beach), “contaminated water” signs go up — both at the …

A few days ago I spent some time with the artist that will be painting four large murals on the walls below the I-5 bridge outside of Old Town. To be called the Gateway Mural, …

One day after buying out departing superintendent Jesus Gandara’s contract, the Sweetwater Union High School District board chose Ed Brand to serve as interim superintendent, paying him $20,000 a month. Brand served as Sweetwater’s superintendent …

Yesterday, I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes dry. It began with the right one. Because my right eye has been leaking on and off for months, I assumed that’s what it was doing -- …

Anne Wayman, of AboutFreelanceWriting.com, explains the basics of getting started as a freelance writer. First, let’s talk about you. What’s your background and your experience with freelance writing? I started writing sales letters and classified …

So ladies, are you tired of everyone telling you should go into teaching or nursing because, well, you know, you’re a girl? And pretty? Well those professions are perfectly wonderful careers. But if you want …

The traffic-related death of a 77-year-old man in the early hours of July 7 has caused much sadness among his acquaintances in the Midway District area. According to a story on Channel 10 news, police …

"The 328th most awesome thing in the world,” according to the book One Thousand Awesome Things, is to “feel our shared histories softly swirl together through old books and stamped checkout cards as you smile …

I think David is trying to kill me. If I’m right, he’s a sadistic bastard for choosing such a slow and agonizing method. In a bid to do as much as he can to make …

I woke to overcast skies and decided it would be a good day to hike. With a hot cup of Roastaroma in hand, a quick Google search led me to several trails within an hour’s …

You’ve probably heard the same thing in recent years that I have from beleaguered workers in their 50s and 60s: “If I can just make it to 65, I’ll be OK.” For more than half …

Lyric Opera, which owns Birch North Park Theatre, struggles to pay the mortgage and operating costs, which run more than $50,000 monthly. Now, the nonprofit organization is close to unloading the property. According to Lyric …

In June, two guitarists from San Diego advanced to the district finals in the nationwide King of the Blues competition sponsored by Guitar Center. Of them, 17-year-old Joshua Vasquez of Chula Vista eliminated Scripps Ranch …

"I like my beers like I like my women," says the guy on the stool next to me. "Bitter and strong." Chris Dunn’s in the military. He’s here with Betsy and Clementine. Uh, they’re not …

Correction Last week’s “Best Buys” column on mobile pet groomers stated incorrectly that Chad Davidson of Pawlished Paw Mobile Grooming works in the Oceanside area. Davidson is based in Coronado, and he works in communities …

It’s the kid. Kole. Three years old with a giant cheeseburger in his mitts. Tries to take a giant bite. Gets ketchup and mayo all over his nose and cheeks. Then looks up to his …

Valhalla High grad and college dropout Matt Bahamas (née Barajas) cites “babes” as a major inspiration: “Here in San Diego, they’re wearing low-cut shirts and short skirts...turning heads. The chase is the most fun, and …

Matthew Alice: Why do people see bright lights and funny things when they hit their head? — Wesley, Fourth Grade Hi, Wesley. Matthew Alice’s friends just get younger and younger. Anyway, when we “see stars,” …

I began writing the Reader’s “Roam-O-Rama” column on January 28, 1993, with a description of a wild and lonely campsite in the Anza-Borrego Desert called Mortero Palms. This “Roam” column, my 861st, is the last …

“Mexican food is huge. It’s definitely what I miss. I still bring tortillas with me back to New York.” When Brooklyn-based Sandra Velasquez and her band Pistolera host a CD-release party July 22 at Balboa …

Tom Hanks cowrote, directed, and stars in this novel pleasantry about a 50-something, all-too-amiable employee of the month. He works at a Walmart-style retailer called UMart (their slogan is “I Love U”). Hanks’s title character …

One of my favorite reviews — that is, reviews of my own work — came in 1987, from Art Salm for the Union-Tribune (or possibly the Union; they were two different papers not long ago) …

So far this year, eight prostitutes have been murdered in Mexicali, and according to Carlos Martínez Vieyra, president of Unidos en Apoyo a Grupos Vulnerables (“United in Support of Vulnerable Groups”), 16 “sexoservidoras” are still …

Wine Vault and Bistro is one door south of Saffron, up three short levels of stairs. It opened in 2005, mainly as a wine shop, with tastings of wine and cheese. Then it expanded into …

A big fan of high-tech policing, San Diego sheriff Bill Gore is in the market for an elaborate, new, state-of-the-art, Star Wars–style computer and video console system for his watch commanders. According to a recent …

As San Diego’s budget deficit has grown, the list of basic services that the City provides has shrunk. To address the increased number of overgrown trees, trash-strewn sidewalks, and rundown business centers, dozens of communities …

In his final quarter of collecting congressional campaign funds before he announced for mayor, Democrat Bob Filner picked up sizable change from a variety of contributors, some with San Diego interests. Pauline Foster, mother-in-law of …

“Our liquor license goes back to the end of Prohibition, so we don’t know how long the bar was actually in business,” says Waterfront Bar and Grill co-owner Chad Cline. “We have the oldest license …

Democratic state senator Juan Vargas is apparently cleaning up some old campaign debt before embarking on his run for the congressional seat being vacated by Bob Filner, who has announced he’s running for San Diego …

New Orleans is famous for its traditional jazz, funk, and R&B, not its indie pop. So it made some sense a couple of years ago when the city’s indie-pop duo Generationals appeared on the national …

A rockumentary about London-born Paul Hudson has been in the works for years. Hudson, 55, better known as H.R. (Human Rights), formed Bad Brains with his brother Earl Hudson, Dr. Know (Gary Miller), and Darryl …

“Our work permits weren’t in order when we arrived, and we were held in immigration most of the day Thursday and all day Friday,” says Scott Stephens of San Diego–based dance band Liquid Blue, which …

Last summer I had a chunk of my eyelid removed, my first skin cancer. Even more fun, I got to go back a second time because the doctor didn’t get it all. Since then I’ve …

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned …

Denomination: Assembly of God Membership: 175 Pastor: Jon Allbaugh Age: 45 Born: Kansas City, Kansas Formation: Vanguard University, Orange County Years Ordained: 22 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon? Pastor …

Thirty-Five Years Ago If you drive south on Highway 5 and take the Pershing Drive off-ramp down to 26th Street, you will wind up on a narrow road through green hills and cool groves of …

The Ascent of the Mind to God It is possible to contemplate God not only outside us and within us, but also above us. Outside us we contemplate Him through His vestige, within us through …

Every spring and fall, the White House South Lawn is open for a weekend for visitors to stroll about. The White House Garden Tour has been a tradition since 1972, but many visitors to the …

“For me, it’s Yosemite and Shenandoah.” ~ Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker As I sit perched atop Blackrock Summit, the highest point in the Big Meadows area at 3,721 feet, I ponder the panoramic vista of …

Sticky faces from melted ice cream, blood-shot eyes from chlorinated water, bathing suit wedgies and waterslide burns – not my idea of a fun way to spend the day, but the imagery does inspire in …

By ten in the morning on July 5, an estimated 600 pounds of marshmallows had been picked up from the sands of Ocean Beach. The annual marshmallow fight (which follows the Fourth of July fireworks) …

When David and I first moved in together, I deferred to his decorating style, not only because I liked it, but also because I had not really developed any of my own. My apartments had …

I’m embarrassingly terrible about moving. I have very little patience—scratch that, I have no patience. Whereas David will methodically organize items in boxes, tape them up, and label them, I’ll just sweep my arm across …

Despite the standard '70s instrumentation, tricky rhythm burps manifest right out of the gate. It's not quite "math rock" but counterpoint enough to bring King Crimson and Polvo into the conversation. Chris Kosnik's soaring, echo-layered …

Phil Spector is credited for developing the recording technique known as the "wall of sound." After witnessing Canadian progressive-rock trio Rush, I would call what they unleashed in Chula Vista the "tsunami of sound." Three …

Visiting the San Diego County Fair is always fun — an exception being Friday night, July 1, when my family and I were leaving the fairgrounds. As our van was parked up on Via de …

Thomas Scott Ruth, 22, allegedly told Carlsbad police officer Shaun Lawton that he made a spur-of-the-moment decision to rob a pizzeria on State Street in February. Officer Lawton gave testimony in the Vista courthouse on …

Ever since the introduction of the taxi libre cabs (a system that allows for cabs driven by independent operators), they have frequently been operated by unregistered drivers who have become a growing concern among consumers. …

Sometimes, my dog and I need to get away from it all – maybe a little exotic jaunt to a Canadian island. You might be wondering about the logistics of traveling with your pup and …

These are the days I’ve been waiting for – all of my nieces and nephews (save for one, but he’ll catch up) have finally reached an acceptable level of maturation. No longer are they pre-ambulatory …