Two men were charged in indictments unsealed this week with hacking into computer servers of a major U.S. mortgage broker to steal personal information and siphon $100,000 in funds from the accounts. They used the …

On the heels of Sony Electronics announcing job cuts of at least 400 employees in the San Diego area, Cox Communications is also drawing back in the region. Notices were sent to employees this week …

According to Smith Travel Research statistics, San Diego's hotel business continues to sag while Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Francisco soar. January hotel occupancy locally dropped from 62.8% to 62.6%, a decline of 0.4%. …

Following a month that saw a violent carjacking and excessive tagging, residents of the normally quiet neighborhood of Sunset Cliffs have been left to wonder whether urban blight is going to be a persisting problem …

What if you could walk into a sushi joint and invent your own sushi roll? Just tell the chef "Gimme some of this, some of that, and I don't care if they shouldn't go together, …

This marks the first year that Balboa Park includes “A” for Art in their annual event to highlight the education movement traditionally known as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). On March 16, from 11 …

North County Superior Court has granted the California Board of Accountancy's request to block a Carlsbad certified public accountant from practicing until criminal cases against him are cleared up. James Milton Comstock is charged with …

According to bartender Faith Taylor, the Tractor Room offers high-quality cocktails with a low-altitude attitude. “It’s kind of like Manhattan meets Montana,” she says. But if the restaurant tries not to take itself too seriously, …

The City of San Diego is running out of space to store all those old emails — internal emails between staff and elected officials and correspondence from constituents. To remedy that, city officials have opted …

These days, in order to function, theaters must run on tight schedules — open a show, run four weeks, open another — even though word of mouth takes three to four weeks to take hold. …

Hey, Turner Classic Movies! You must remember this: there is more to vintage cinema (and the vast holdings in the M-G-M/Warner Bros. vaults) than, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn," "We'll always have …

Recording as Sun Kil Moon, Mark Kozelek’s new album, Benji, walks a fine line between tear-jerk confessionals and R. Kelly–style stream-of-consciousness stories. The everyday recollections of “Ben’s My Friend” feel kind of like Kozelek’s own …

Glenn Danzig, former Misfits frontman and lead singer for the heavy metal band Danzig, is ready to bang heads with his former distributor in court. On February 27, the self-proclaimed "Evil Elvis" filed a lawsuit …

Never heard Tacocat before. First impressions of “Bridge to Hawaii”: (1) I’m getting impatient with the song’s two resounding opening guitar chords, cringing at the prospect of overdramatized, underwritten music...is there going to be a …

People who park on streets near Kaiser Hospital/Medical Center on Zion Avenue may find "a friendly reminder" from District 7 city councilman Scott Sherman on their vehicles. A packet containing the reminder (printed on yellow …

Last September, I introduced readers to Valley Center’s first brewery, Valley Center Brewery. At the time, the family-run operation was in the midst of its very humble beginnings, but they’ve been busy in their northerly …

Armed attackers are taking aim at migrants crossing the border illegally near Ocotillo, according to a February 26 report from the U.S. Border Patrol. Ocotillo is located just east of San Diego County at the …

California Attorney General Kamala Harris today (February 27) asked the Ninth U.S. District Circuit of Appeals to review and reverse a decision February 13 in which a panel of the court ruled 2 to 1 …

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on February 27, at the corner of Woodman and 69th streets, a project to deliver and set in place a new power substation had begun. A massive crane had been erected …

It turns out that BBQ 81 isn’t North Park’s only barbecue restaurant. Smitty’s Taste of the Bayou opened up quietly at the end of last year, sharing kitchen space two days a week with the …

On February 19, Rene Sanchez was brought into a San Diego courtroom, where he denied killing a man during a Halloween party at an Escondido home in 2007. Sanchez pleaded not guilty to one count …

Don Argott's documentary As the Palaces Burn tells two interconnected stories, but it started out to tell just one. The idea was to travel with the metal band Lamb of God on the world tour …

The term of San Diego mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer's quick pick to be chief of police, succeeding the controversial Bill Lansdowne, may be limited to four years, based on records of the city's retirement system. According …

When most people think of Encinitas, the beach is probably the first thing to come to mind. Moonlight and Swami’s are two of the best in the county. But the seaside community is also home …

A group of students from San Diego State University, inspired by a social science course, gave a closer look at the newly proposed food-truck regulations set to go before the city council on March 3. …

Felena Hanson, founder of Hera Hub, offers five bold tips for success. Tell me about Hera Hub. Hera Hub is a shared, flexible work and meeting space where business women can create and collaborate in …

Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer plays in a wonderful production through this weekend at UCSD. The 18th century comedy has such a light and tender spirit you’d think the author knew only sunny days. Not …

Last July, I reported the establishers of Local Habit (3827 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest) were selling the business. Immediately, regulars at the “Cali-Creole” spot were worried it would veer away from that unique style of cuisine …

Captain Richard Phillips, (Tom Hanks played him in the movie) who was at the helm of the container ship Maersk Alabama when four Somali pirates seized it in 2009 went back to work a year …

Navajo Community Planners, Inc., listened for about an hour February 24 to discussion of the proposed medical-marijuana dispensary ordinance, but the board made no recommendation about the regulation on the San Diego City Council' s …

Your résumé got you an interview, and you answered the questions in your job well enough to get hired. What’s next? Next is the most important step in your new job. Nothing in the past …

My family taught me that the world was cruel, cold, heartless.

On February 22, the annual San Diego Collie Club dog show took place at Magee Park along Carlsbad Boulevard. The show helps raise money for the Southland Collie Rescue organization. In addition to the judging …

Cult DIY rocker Gary Wilson, soon to play Poland’s Off Festival, has a new seven-inch out this week: “Sea Cruise” b/w “I Just Want to Hold You in My Arms Tonight,” both from his upcoming …

Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer made an intelligent move this afternoon (February 26) by naming assistant police chief Shelley Zimmerman as San Diego's first female chief, replacing William Lansdowne, who stepped down yesterday. Zimmerman is an ideal …

“So? David didn’t get me flowers either,” I said. “Is it at all possible that you’re looking for ways to vilify the guy because that would somehow make kissing his wife an acceptable thing to do?”

A crowd gathered in Hillcrest on Monday evening, February 24, to celebrate what they see as another step toward recognition and equality for transgender people in California and beyond. Late Monday afternoon, California secretary of …

When you catch a cold or the flu, you often suspect that you got it in a restaurant. In San Diego, you certainly may have. A new study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research …

After four EPs and three full-lengths, the Dum Dum Girls, masterminded by Dee Dee Penny (née onetime San Diego resident and Grand Ole Party drummer Kristin Welchez, aka Kristin Gundred), seems poised to go ubiquitous, …

Not all dog walkers are created equal. When I acquired my Frenchie Bleu, I knew that I needed dog walking services midday for my little guy because I work full-time and can be gone for …

Near the end of Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago — Lydia Smith’s finely observed documentary about travelers along Spain’s 500-mile pilgrim trail, the Camino de Santiago — one of the pilgrims makes a …

Larry Groupé had no problem that Canadian figure-skater Kevin Reynolds used his music for the Olympics. “My brother called me from back East.” says Groupé, Oceanside’s two-time Emmy-winning composer. “They got the Olympics three hours …

About a year and a half ago, Jaime Brambila and five associates began transforming the 1800-square-foot curio stall above his family’s former restaurant, Café La Especial (1952–2008), into a contemporary gastro bar. La Justina — …

The golden-brown steaming lake of birria sends wafts of beefy, spicy, cilantro-y, almost mole-ish richness swirling up my nostrils. And now the lime I’ve squirted on it makes it so purr-fect it almost sings as …

I love being a woman to be forty years old to be mistress of my life to fall in love with men to easily forget men to write my poems to cook aromatic dishes to …

The Critic’s Code says we can’t talk about endings. But the final scene of Ayad Akhtar’s otherwise involving comedy-drama, The Who & The What, doesn’t feel right at all. Up to that point the play …

Ironwood Wash and Canyon are not on any map prior to March 11, 2010. That was the date that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names unanimously approved the official naming of this wash and canyon, …

Asked why San Diego’s School of Rock chose to open an new branch in Encinitas, music director Tyler Ward credits popular demand and sympatico vibe. “We have recently had tons of requests from families in …

While Brian Bilbray hung out at the club, back on the real Capitol Hill, staffers for House freshman Democrat Juan Vargas were meeting with lobbyists for the government of Mexico regarding “Country of Origin Labeling.” …

In 1973, if you’d asked 15-year-old Andrea Rushing if he’d rather meet Salvador Dalí or Michael Jackson, he would have picked Salvador Dalí. “I was probably the only black boy in the South whose hero …

Synthesizer maestro and resident alien of alienation, Gary Numan’s music was, and is, dark, strong, and rich — goth when goth wasn’t cool. He took time from touring behind his new album, Splinter (Songs from …

Republican ex-congressman Brian Bilbray, defeated by Democrat Scott Peters in November 2012, is still entertaining constituents in the nation’s capital, according to his most recent campaign disclosure statement, dated this January 31. In October of …

Laundered money in politics is money whose source is hidden. Dark money is political spending by tax-exempt organizations that don't have to reveal individual donors and might not reveal donations until the election is over.

The San Diego County Water Authority won a tentative ruling late yesterday (Feb. 25) in its two long-running lawsuits against Los Angeles's Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies 46 percent of the county's …

How many fundraisers can a university use? An army, more or less, at least based on the latest job announcement from UC San Diego Health Sciences. “The current needs for campaign recruitment include four seasoned …

Police chief William Lansdowne, beset by his force's sex and other scandals, resigned yesterday afternoon (Feb. 25), effective Monday, March 3. Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer reportedly did not ask the chief to resign, although the two …

More to the Arts Perhaps I missed something, but I was quite disappointed that the Reader’s “2014 Guide to the Arts in San Diego” (February 13 cover story) apparently did not feature dance or music …

The Quakes, a power trio started in the late ’80s in Buffalo, NY, by guitarist Paul Roman, bassist Rob Peltier, and a 15-year-old drummer named Dave Hoy, floundered for lack of a hometown audience. That’s …

Shelter Island may be rightfully perceived as the domain of boat owners and fresh seafood restaurants, but every community needs a reliable burger and beer spot, and in this little corner of Point Loma, it's …

In April of this year, residents of Barrio Logan will once again see an extra fee on their property-tax bill. The pot of cash will go toward Barrio Logan's Maintenance Assessment District, which was officially …

The Ring Without Words. That’s all I need to write. The Ring Without Words. I’ll add the time and dates as well. Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st, at 8:00 pm and Sunday, March …

San Diego Gas & Electric is strongly protesting the attempt of Michael Shames to get $365 an hour, plus $50 as an "efficency adder," for his work on SDG&E's October 3, 2011, filing before the …

The chief of staff for freshman Democratic congressman Scott Peters, who is expected by many to face a fierce reelection battle against GOP ex–San Diego city councilman Carl DeMaio, recently returned from a two-day trip …

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released more details of the El Cajon Department of Motor Vehicles driver's license scam. Thirty defendants have been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, and the investgation is …

TIMPANI! Ladies and gentlemen, the Film Consortium San Diego is proud to announce the star-studded, first ever San Diego Film Awards! A relative new kid in town, the FCSD "has been actively working to mobilize …

THINKING WHAT COULD BE DONE AT SD ON THE QT WITH $5 MILLION — When word came down that UT-TV was closing its cable TV operations, U-T Chief Operator John Lynch-Mobbe "couldn't help thinking what …

I’ve been spending more time in South Park since my friend Mellie moved from Venice Beach to South Park central, right on Fern Street. One recent evening, Mellie invited David and me to dinner at …

The trial of Julie Elizabeth Harper, 40, who pleads not guilty to the murder of her 39-year-old husband while their children played downstairs, has been delayed from April until June of this year, on defense …

The Imperial Beach Sports Park privatization controversy has taken a peaceable turn. As outlined at the city-council meeting of February 19, the previously warring factions of the council and public seem to have largely agreed …

Oliver Goldsmith is proof that writers come in all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. His detractors said he couldn’t hold his life together. Their proof: he wrote thousands of pages of hackwork to pay for gambling …

Seal-protection activists achieved their main goal February 24 when the San Diego City Council voted 6-3 in favor of closing the La Jolla Children’s Pool between 15 December and 15 May. The ruling, which accommodates …

Sometimes the power of belief is the most important part of a medical treatment. At the witches' market in Lima, Peru, the curanderos gather in early morning, setting up their stalls and hanging their banners. …

As the decommissioning process continues at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, a scenario similar to the one that led to the power plant’s demise is unfolding about halfway between Orlando and Miami. In 2007, …

It looks kinda like a sheikh's tent from across the street. Cabana-style brown and black drapes and awnings half conceal the big sidewalk terrazza. We're at the "Fifth and Olive Building" up here at, well, …

San Diego county clerk Ernest Dronenburg is relying on one well-heeled financial supporter to fund his reelection campaign: himself. Disclosures filed with the county show Dronenburg loaned his campaign committee (“Friends of Ernest Dronenburg 2014”) …

Tuesday 25 BrainTweet plays the Loft at UCSD (911 Lyman lane). The band features Boaz Roberts, Kyle Blair, Zach Chase Lipton, Tobin Chodos, and Kevin Higuchi. 8 p.m. FREE! Wednesday 26 Trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos does …

Scott McGee’s photography exhibition, a collection of dive and dryland photography called “Adventures in a Cafe,” opens at Vinaka Cafe in Carlsbad with a morning reception on March 9th from 8AM to 2PM. McGee’s collected …

REALIZING JUST WHAT THOSE MOTOR CARS ARE SYMBOLIC OF, LA JOLLA — Marc Chase, co-owner of Symbolic Motor Cars in La Jolla and alleged middleman in the Jose Azano Matsura political donation scandal, has come …

On Wednesday, February 19, what seemed to be an attempted dog-napping at Grape Street Dog Park was thwarted by park regulars, who stopped the would-be perpetrator in the parking lot. More than one eyewitness claimed …

The story of Santiago Meza López is one of the most gruesome and well-known narco stories to come out from Baja. Meza earned his nickname of “El Pozolero” because he dissolved more than 300 bodies …

With the mayoral election decided in favor of her husband, Republican city councilman Kevin Faulconer, Katherine Stuart was busy at work last week, pitching yet another multi-block closure and private street party to the special-event …

So, this guy walks into a bar (University Heights’ Small Bar to be exact), orders a beer, and promptly has it snatched up by a young woman who takes a sip and correctly identifies its …

Detroit-area media are reporting that the bankrupt city is trying to $82 million in unpaid parking tickets, including late fees and court costs. The media list nine egregious offenders. One is Michelle Marlo-Klims of San …

Pity about Saltbox at the Hotel Palomar. The place used to have something going for it when Simon Dolinky wore the big hat in the kitchen. His dishes weren’t always mind blowing, but they had …

For several years, the University Heights Community Development Corporation has been pushing to acquire the old Teachers Training Annex 1, owned by the San Diego Unified School District. The development corporation’s plan would renovate the …

Recently, Leucadia resident Scott Chatfield woke up one morning at 3:00 a.m. and realized he had to do something to save the old Pacific View Elementary School. The 2.8-acre property comes up for public auction …

Woes at San Diego real estate firm Chhatrala Group have multiplied since the Reader reported on its financial problems January 6. In Michigan, Kent County treasurer Ken Parrish said on February 13 that the company …

Longtime San Diego auto dealer Richard "Tony" McCune retired in April of last year after selling his National City auto dealership. It had been in his family for 65 years. Now, a yacht, November Tango, …

The building permit to renovate the Vogue Theater has been issued by the City of Chula Vista, giving the green light to bringing the currently dormant historical building back to life. Janice Kluth, the senior …

At Scripps Institute of Oceanography last weekend, February 15, more than 70 people gathered to learn why “The Future of Surfing Is Not Disposable” — this was among the topics at the Groundswell Society’s 12th …

As we’re building up the 3,700-plus band pages in the Reader’s Local Music Database, we occasionally notice some surprising statistical anomalies. This week, let’s look at a few of around 160 local bands and performers …

Citizens at the February 18 La Mesa Town Hall meeting at Northmont Elementary School told the city council that they were concerned about crime, particularly drug use, at nearby Northmont Park. The meeting, held in …

As the years-long process of permanently shuttering the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station continues, plant operator Southern California Edison announced on Thursday, February 20, that it will hold an auction next month to dispose of …

The battle for San Diego's open Sixth District city-council seat is rapidly shaping up as a familiar big-money political party-dominated contest, with the two partisan candidates as well as the major independent running for the …

Pianist/composer Carla Bley, 77 years old now, knows outrage and energy; her early masterwork Escalator Over the Hill ends with repetition infinite — or at least, until the needle punches through the lock groove at …

In a nondescript church with high ceilings, listeners assume a wide variety of positions; some sit cross-legged on the floor and some lie on their backs, some close their eyes and some stare catatonically. Other …

According to the Associated Press, Major League Soccer aims to have 24 teams by 2020 and is talking to San Diego. "There have been some discussions in Southern California, in San Diego," commissioner Don Garber …

On Monday, February 17, community dignitaries, public officials, veterans’ representatives, and members of the neighborhood gathered in Old Town for a grand-opening ceremony for the Aspire Center; Aspire is an acronym for "American Service members …

San Diego biotech Isis Pharmaceuticals announced before market opening this morning (February 21) that it has had very successful results in early-stage tests for its experimental treatment for spinal muscular atrophy in children. The stock …

On a recent Saturday night at North Park's U-31, the usual beard-wearing, IPA-drinking scene was turned upside by MayStar's Club Fashion Whore. Fashion Whore is a monthly runway show taking place on the second Saturday …

TIRED OF THE SAME-OLD SAME-OLD, LA JOLLA — In 2012, UC San Diego hired Wisconsin-based law professor Linda Greene to fill the newly created position of Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Now, after …

On February 20, Caltrans began construction on the long awaited improvements at the I-5/Santa Fe Drive on and off ramps — on the west side of the freeway. The southbound I-5 off-ramp is one of …

The topic of chickens and eggs came up before the February 19 La Mesa Planning Commission hearing on a zoning amendment to allow residents in single-family homes to keep poultry — excluding roosters. The meeting …

From the outside, The Market Place looks like a convenience store four or five decades past its heyday. But, like other nearby fixtures Hobnob Hill and Nunu's, the place must have been doing something right …

Last September, a most alliterate duo — Coronado Brewing Company and Tampa, Florida’s acclaimed Cigar City Brewing — collaborated to create a “not so common” India pale ale. Dubbed “Last Spike,” it was the first …

The San Diego Unified Port District is embarking on the first phase of a comprehensive master plan for the San Diego Bay, which is expected to take a total of five to seven years to …

Authorities are searching for a pair of individuals involved in a drive-by shooting in San Marcos that resulted in an innocent bystander being hit. According to a press release from San Diego sheriff's Sgt. Earnell …

Something amazing is happening at San Diego Opera right now. In an opinionated industry, as we discussed with Frank Porretta, there is a consensus regarding soprano Tatiana Lisnic. Every, single person I know who has …

Two men were sent to prison yesterday, February 19, after they admitted assault with a firearm inside a shopping mall eatery on January 3, 2014. Luís Enrique Cruz, 19, and Sergio Rivera Ramos, 24, were …

WISHING THOSE POSTERS HAD NOT ACTUALLY BEEN FOUND ON THE WALL IN THE SDPD'S SEX CRIMES UNIT, DOWNTOWN — "Being chief is a tough job," says San Diego Police Chief Bill Lansdowne. "It's hard to …

A former San Diego law student is furious enough about the way a character based on his real-life persona is portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film Wolf of Wall Street that he has filed a lawsuit. …

The San Diego Performing Arts League is an umbrella organization dedicated to promoting local arts groups. The SDPL operates the Arts Tix booth at Horton Plaza (selling discount and full-price tickets) and the ArtsTix website. …

City efforts to replace the water mains in Bankers Hill have subjected residents to road and lane closures in the past few weeks, but it's the water runoff streaming down Fifth Avenue that has residents …

Recently I went back to northern Baja's Guadalupe Valley. I hadn’t been there since the late 1980s. Back then, it was just emerging as a serious wine-growing region, with two giant producers (Cetto and Pedro …

It's been a busy week on the road for Darrell Issa, the North County GOP congressman who has set out for New Hampshire in quest of what many believe is his party's nomination for the …

The Love Boat sushi restaurants aren’t upscale. They’re fun, in an “eat sushi till you drop” kind of way, but there’s nothing special there, and that’s using the word “sushi” in its broadest sense. Blue …

SHOUTING "BOO YA!" AT WIKILEAKS AND SNOWDEN, NOBLE EXPERIMENT — Ever since Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer's Media Manager Cara Talkingpoint announced the appointment of San Diego poet laureate Wanmor Bonghit to write the verse to be …

There's a big difference between a triumphant group coyote yip and a single wailing coyote howl. It's now 5:00 am and I have been torn out of my REM sleep because I am hearing a …

When most San Diegans celebrate the history of beer, they start out with Karl Strauss Brewing Company. Or, if they really comb the annals of suds’ story, they mention the original Aztec Brewing Company and …

San Diegan Joel Nathanson was convicted yesterday (February 19) of his role in an "advance fee" fraud scheme. Six defendants in all were convicted in Philadelphia, according to the United States Attorney's Office there. An …

So The Spectacular Now is on YouTube. You can rent it for $4.99! Or you can watch it for free right here, in full Blu-ray resolution, because the Internet. Below, you can have a look …

I stand on Kettner Boulevard experiencing a tinge of regret that I’m already married. Not because my eyes feast on some hunk of fine-ass man but because I’m witnessing the wedding I kinda wish I’d …

Last month, Serge Dedina, a frequent foe of Imperial Beach mayor Jim Janney, announced his intention to run for the office in November. Dedina, 49, who is the executive director of the Wildcoast conservation agency …

It's always been known that San Diego has among the least affordable homes in the nation. But a new study by hsh.com, a mortgage research firm, breaks new ground. It lists the salary required to …

A prosecutor said a 63-year-old grandmother reloaded her five-shot revolver twice and fired 15 rounds at her son-in-law, killing him in the home they shared in Fallbrook last week. The prosecutor spoke on February 18 …

Details on the controversial Boulevard at 63rd development, formerly known as Centrepointe Luxury Apartments, are beginning to emerge as construction proceeds and as the lawsuit filed by residents opposed to the project makes its way …

Just when you thought it was safe to throw out that old cassette deck, it appears as if magnetic tape is making a comeback. Nestled in a nook in the southwest corner of M-Theory Music …

U-T San Diego's TV station is going off cable tonight after two years, the company announced today. Some believe it had been losing $500,000 monthly, as the company has admitted in internal memos that it …

Clarification from the editor We received a letter on March 19 from Mr. Berkson's law firm stating the following facts: Although our client Howard Berkson did at one time have an interest in India Street …

Wow. What a difference from last time. I stuck my nose in in early January. This is near the old Central Library, Ninth and E. The sign, “Acme Southern Kitchen” was up, but inside it …

Sweetwater Union High School District slid deeper into the tar pit February 18. After former trustee Arlie Ricasa was obliged to retire in December, the four-member board was unable to come to a consensus on …

Just in time for your post-Valentine’s low, In Secret serves up a murky bowl of curdled desire, soured by a generous dollop of good old-fashioned guilt. No, wait — come back! It’s good, honest! It’s …

Why does Leontes go stark raving mad in The Winter’s Tale? The King of Sicilia looks to have it all. His beautiful wife, Hermione, is pregnant with their second child. His son, Mamillius, is a …

Kumeyaays’ “valley of the eagles” still worthy of the name.

“We don’t have a problem with Soma, but it seems like bands with no talent get to play [Soma’s] main stage. It’s all about who you know. It makes it difficult for bands that are …

The invitations went out through Facebook. They included a photo of my man in a morphsuit: full-body stretchy spandex, red and white stripes over the face, stars down the right arm, the American flag. This …

It’s Gay Week in the NFL. Michael Sam, 24, will be auditioning at the NFL Scouting Combine starting Saturday. As anyone with a TV or internet access knows, Michael Sam is gay. He came out …

A little-noticed report by the inspector general’s office of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has found that software problems lasting almost a year, from September 2012 through August 2013, prevented U.S. state officials from …

Current owner: Thomas & Sylvia Vecchione Listing price: $5,000,000 Beds: 8 Baths: 8 This classic Italianate villa–styled home is introduced in listing materials as “Downton Abbey in Mission Hills.” The 7805-square-foot home, built in 1921, …

From day one, the first image visitors to the tasting room at Manzanita Brewing Company’s associated with the Santee operation was its namesake lumber. The twisted tree was painted on the walls, and front and …

“If San Diego were a human body, then San Diego airport would be the butt,” said a taxi driver at San Diego International Airport. He was referring to how he felt cabbies are treated since …

As young Santiago entered the dark room, morning sunlight speared the old, crippled padre on the cot. He lay on his back where, to himself, he’d performed nightly baptisms, heard confessions, joined neophytes in wedlock …

Ex–San Diego city councilman Carl DeMaio, running for Congress against freshman Democrat Scott Peters, has lined up some big GOP stars for a giant Orange County cocktail reception and fundraising bash set for next month …

San Diego County is out with a list of its top property taxpayers for fiscal year 2014 and, as usual, the “winner” is utility behemoth San Diego Gas & Electric, paying a handsome $87,007,049. Another …

Simply Impressed Enjoyed your Arts in San Diego issue (February 13). It’s nice to know this is no longer simply some fun-in-the-sun beach town. But one glaring omission: the San Diego Civic Dance Arts Association. …

“When I moved onto the farm, it was me and my wife Jessica trying to find a change of life,” says David Solomon, manager of Stone Farms in Escondido. “I was in advertising. She was …

Membership: 60 Pastor: Paul Willweber Age: 45 Born: Mission Hills Formation: Concordia College, Seward, NE; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO Years Ordained: 18 San Diego Reader: What is your favorite subject on which to preach? …

— for Austin at the restaurant we sit down to wine we are so hungry the crisp appetizers/early loves and lightly seasoned salad we’ve developed appetites for the garlic & onion of life gorging on …

I never made it to Café Paris, but there's enough Francophile to me that I'd looked forward to it. Wine and small plates can be just the thing some evenings, even if you have to …

A thick drizzle soaked me one Saturday afternoon in Pago Pago, American Samoa. (Pronounced something like “Pango Pango.) But the drizzle was a welcome relief from the Deluge of Heaven that had just raced across …

“The live show? It’s pretty simple,” Mike Illvester says when asked about the mechanics of how his duo, Fly Moon Royalty, manages to sound so large. “I sing and play keys, and Adra sings. I …

WATCHING THE SKY FOR BRIMSTONE, SANTEE — "It's not complicated," says Second Baptist Church of Santee Pastor T. Rebel Swiftsword, explaining his opposition to the Light & Life Foundation's decision to keep its Creation Museum …

A chief backer of an elaborate new "basketball performance center" at San Diego State University — approved last month by state university trustees — is a partner in the Sacramento Kings. The professional basketball team …

Actors stand in a circle. One waves both hands up and down. The others mimic the movements. Someone says “transform.” Another actor initiates a new gesture, maybe grunts something. The others follow suit in the …

If anyone should be doing hard time on account of this crime against cinema, it's Jane Fonda and future Amateur Hour hostess, JLo, not some poor simp in South Carolina who failed to return a …

On an early February evening, we arrived in San Diego seeking respite from well-below-freezing temperatures back East. Our first impression was of pleasing warmth, soft breezes, palm trees, bougainvillea, and hibiscus. Then there were unexpected, …

Tuesday 18 Saxophonist David Borgo is joined by pianist Tobin Chodos and bassist Tim McNalley for happy-hour at UC San Diego’s the Loft. Free admission. 5:00-6:00 pm. Wednesday 19 Trumpeter Jeff Kaiser will appear with …

UCSD dean of social sciences Jeffrey Elman, whose widely publicized email about using ex-assemblyman and mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher to raise money to pay for his own part-time professorship first came to light here in …

Juan Miron and Kevin Ho seem intent on feeding beer drinkers. Their MiHo Gastrotruck established a following by parking outside breweries and bars, serving street food to happy hour denizens and craft beer fans. Now …

Surfer Kern Vincent Glaubitz was charged with assault with a deadly weapon — a surfboard — by the San Diego County District Attorney’s office on January 15. After being held in custody two weeks, Glaubitz …

A Jamul-based goat breeder is among a dozen plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit in San Diego charging that seven individuals and five businesses have been improperly denied "meaningful economic participation in the pygmy goat industry." …

City councilmembers now have the legal advice they need to move ahead with a medical marijuana ordinance. Last week, the city attorney's office issued a report to council and the mayor answering in detail many …

...Continuing with our interview of opera singer Kevin Burdette. San Diego Reader: Are you married? Kevin Burdette: I am. I met my wife while working at a law firm in New York — well, wait. …

Sitting near the base of the Alps in southern Germany, Münich's nearest coastline would be where Venice slowly sinks into the Adriatic some 300 miles away. But while one might make the case a gondolier …

Former Albany, New York, attorney Leonard Krouner, now living in San Diego, this month was turned down in his attempt to win back his New York law license. On February 6, the Appellate Division of …

The private sector boasts how it has replaced employees' defined benefit pension practices with 401(k) plans, which are pushed by Wall Street. But a Bloomberg News story dated Thursday (February 13) is extremely disturbing. It …

On February 12, the Golden Hill Planning Committee unanimously voted to deny support of a proposed extension of the Balboa Golf Course clubhouse. All present members of the community advisory group took issue with the …

Will somebody please tell me where there is a better happy hour deal than here at the House of Blues' Crossroads Bar? Two-dollar pints of Bud Light! Five-buck quesadillas. Free live music! So okay, the …

It's probably best to make something clear up front: I am not reviewing the popular Convoy Street restaurant Tofu House. I visited a different establishment named Convoy Tofu House. Okay, they're both on Convoy, both …

Flying over San Diego County's various reservoirs on the morning of February 14 at about 1500' above each, it's easy to see that the water levels are not where they should be at this time …

Last year, Societe Brewing Company (8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Kearny Mesa) made a lot of noise behind an ever-expanding fleet of diverse India pale ales that, even in a town awash with IPA, rated among …

On Thursday (February 13), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged La Jolla resident James Y. Lee with defrauding his clients. According to the agency's complaint, Lee portrayed himself as a securities expert with several …

Interim mayor Todd Gloria has taken to the media to dispel some misconceptions swirling on the internet and in media reports on new food-truck regulations soon to be discussed, quite possibly adopted, at an upcoming …

The new installation from Albert Reyes at Low Gallery in North Park pays tongue-in-cheek homage to Valentine’s Day. “Albert and the Black Hearts,” which features a series of illustrations from the artist, is “a celebration …

Labor Ready, the temp-job agency located at 2884 University Avenue in North Park, is closed for business. A sign on the door reads: “North Park office will be consolidating with the El Cajon and Downtown …

Just when SoCal skiers and snowboarders thought winter would never come, the Pineapple Express has opened up and is dumping tons of snow on Mammoth and June Mountain. The weather phenomenon picks up moisture-laden air …

The City of Chula Vista held a meeting in the Orange Avenue library February 12. Three representatives from the city, including landscape designers, explained to a roomful of residents the timeline for the construction of …

Wondertwins James Mercer (the Shins) and Danger Mouse (recent producer of every band in the universe) have once again transformed into Broken Bells to deliver full-length number two to their eager listeners. Unfortunately, this one …

QUICKENING MY PACE AS I PASS THE NEWSPAPER RACKS, DOWNTOWN — In honor of Valentine's Day, both the San Diego Reader and San Diego CityBeat released their annual sex-themed issues today. And as usual, both …

Where does the line between art and industry lie? Rachel Eva and Shawn Michael, a Hillcrest couple who together make up Work of My Hands, are in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to fund …

Last week, the 125-year old Oceanside house in disrepair at 102 Pacific Street received a fresh coat of paint, its first since 1985. For all its problems — peeling paint, crumbling overhangs, and leaning porches …

The eternal debate over religion and a German shepherd. These are the factors that led aptly named Michael Brewer to name his prospective business, Dogma Brewing Company. The homebrewer of more than ten years is …

Linda S. Greene, the $250,000-a-year diversity vice chancellor hired in 2012 by UCSD after several racial incidents on campus, has quietly left that job and returned to her previous position as a professor of law …

The Casbah’s 25th anniversary, celebrated throughout the month of January, featured some of San Diego’s best bands from years gone by, playing the way we remember them: a little too fast, a little too sloppy, …

Americans tend to be sentimental about Southern food whether or not they've ever lived below the Mason-Dixon. It seems to be linked to some sort of nostalgic national identity, to the point that poor-quality biscuits, …

At a noon meeting today, February 13, the board of the San Diego County Water Authority adopted its staff recommendation to call upon residents to step up water-conservation efforts. The water authority's long-term plan has …

Dying human put into machine, with attendant complications? Robocop. Intelligent consciousness in a machine, with attendant complications? Her. Dying human's intelligent consciousness put into a machine, with attendant complications? Transcendence. Here's a trailer.

A sheriff’s detective claimed in court on February 11 that he has eight minutes of surveillance video showing a man pushing a shopping cart down the street to dump his girlfriend’s body beside a trash …

Birds in Mission Trails Regional Park displayed varied reactions when David Cooksy's camera made a beeping sound while focusing. Egrets became "panicky. They looked around; they thought it was a bird," Cooksy said during a …

Statement from SDPD Chief Laydown: "In every case, Officer Hays was acting on credible tips from concerned citizens in downtown bars. One woman was said to be carrying 'sweater bombs,' another, 'a pair of bazookas,' …

The San Diego Association for Governments (SANDAG), in partnership with the City of Encinitas and the North County Transit District, held a meeting with Cardiff residents on February 11 to discuss the Coastal Rail Trail. …

Part of the Valley Farm BBQ Stand’s charm is its utter lack of ambiance. The place is nothing but a shack in a grocery store parking lot, with a few patio tables for “seating.” Hulking …

California taxpayers are footing the bill for yet another demi-millionaire over at the University of California San Diego, already home to a bevy of high six- and seven-figure administrators. Latest to join the ranks of …

In 1913, Cardiff by the Sea’s founder, J. Frank Cullen, realized his growing town’s kids should probably have something better than a classroom in the MacKinnon farm’s barn. So he donated land and built Cardiff’s …

Christmas and professional wresting go together like Larry the Cable Guy and nothing even remotely amusing. Somewhere Daryl F. Zanuck is vomiting blood. 20th Century Fox Home "Entertainment" and WWE "Studios" are joining forces on …

Megan Johnson of TipsyWriter.com, explains that yes, you really should wear pants to your Skype interview. First, please tell me what you do? I’m going to avoid job titles here because those can be boring …

Punky hair colors are popping up on celebrities ranging from risk-takers like Kelly Osborne and Katie Perry to the more conservative Lauren Conrad and January Jones. The trend is starting to seep into the mainstream. …

Some of San Diego's state legislators are being praised for their high scores on a first annual "Environmental Justice Scorecard," released this week by a collective of environmental activist groups. The report is published by …

Short answer: no, of course not. Apple doesn't manufacture weapons systems. But we have to think about SEO, you know? Because of Google. Which Omnicorp isn't, either. Longer answer: Hilariously, sort of, maybe! Or at …

Workplace discrimination comes in many forms, from the subtlest type of excluding some affected employees in work discussions to blatant racism and ageism. It’s nothing new and broad efforts over several decades at the state …

The history of Belching Beaver Brewery (980 Park Center Drive, Vista) is short, but with a number of projects near completion, its future’s looking bright. A recent conversation with owner Tom Vogel turned up plans …

A former employee at San Diego Christian College claims administrators fired her after learning she had engaged in premarital sex with her then-fiancé, becoming pregnant out of wedlock, a violation of the school's contract with …

Imagine a job that doesn’t stress you out. Imagine a gig where people are almost always nice to you and they appreciate everything that you do for them. Now imagine leaving work each week, paycheck …

A criminal defense attorney on February 10 suggested that the tattoo “ESCO VIEJO” on his client merely expresses fondness for his hometown and is not connected to a violent street gang. “Esco viejo” translates as …

Our affinity for artistic expression sets us humans apart from all other animals. We continue to find innovative ways to communicate our complex emotions and philosophical reflections. Though it is inarguably enriching to appreciate works …

“We’re just a rock band with a very heavy groove,” says Sledd guitarist Kevin Michael. “We have a modern sound, but we don’t sound like any of the other contemporary groups because we pull from …

The Wall Street Journal will run a story tomorrow (February 13) noting that San Diego Republican Carl DeMaio plans to run an ad showing him holding hands with his same-sex partner, Johnathan Hale. The Journal …

Brian got married “around age 28. We had Anthony about two years afterwards and had Adriana in ’94.” Though he didn’t relish the thought of being “50 years old and worrying about [my daughter’s] virginity,” …

If fierce logic is something you demand in a stand up, then put Brian Regan’s name at the top of the list. It’s not enough for Regan to make an audience laugh. He dares the …

“This album is intended for aging art-punks who complain about bearded bands and [for] teenage listeners realizing blog culture sold them a bill of goods,” says Aaron Poehler, whose post–punk rock full-length Dietrich, co-created with …

One of the great movie gangsters was also a smart, discriminating art collector. As Rico Bandello in Little Caesar (“Mother of Mercy, is this the end of Rico?”), Edward G. Robinson, born Emmanuel Goldenberg in …

“Imagine rehearsing your song and seeing Paul McCartney dancing to it.” Nathan East, who scored Grammy Record of the Year gold for his work on Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” calls the Reader from “somewhere on …

Our venerable theater writer Jeff Smith offers his thoughts on the San Diego theater scene he's observed for more than three decades.

The San Diego mayoral race wasn’t the only special election on February 11. The majority of Solana Beach voters passed Proposition B — an initiative brought to the ballot box by citizens. It asked voters …

“Darlin’, best way you can help is getting your butt out of sight,” says Carla.

Most clubs that host national acts rely on one of the “big three” concert companies — AEG, Live Nation/House of Blues, Nederlander — to route headliners to their stages. The Belly Up Tavern has never …

Forty-five years after the Japanese practice of nurses identifying newborns by names written in Magic Marker on the soles of their feet was thought to have ceased, it took one thoughtless orderly to forever alter …

I sighed and then held up my phone so David could see the image of the castle I’d been ogling. “I love that Stephanie is posting pics of all her adventures,” I said. Steph, my …

The Morteros Trail is part of the 4757-acre Little Blair Valley Cultural Preserve that was created in December 2010 in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The area was a seasonal home for the Kumeyaay people who …

Their cash arrived the day before the election — traditional timing for controversial contributions that might otherwise become negative campaign fodder — but ex–San Diego mayor Pete Wilson and his wife Gayle came through for …

GOP congressman Duncan Hunter is set to hit the road to Orange County for a fundraising “Laguna Beach Trip” this coming August 10 through 12 at the oceanfront Montage Hotel, according to an invitation posted …

Butterfinger. With that one word, Rafter Roberts has answered the Reader’s question: Which Super Bowl XLVIII television commercial did he write and produce the soundtrack for? The vaguely naughty Butterfinger ad (it winks at the …

Gary Kreep, the conservative superior court judge who San Diego liberals and local prosecutors love to hate, has been paying off a few campaign debts of late, according to a recently filed disclosure statement. The …

Three former minor league baseball players filed a suit yesterday (February 11) in federal court in San Francisco, claiming that 19th-century laws essentially keep minor leaguers in a state of indentured servitude. The suit is …

Bread and circuses. Back in the Roman Empire, those were the keys to diverting the public’s attention from political greed and corruption — and, particularly, from the massive gap between the rich and the poor. …

There’s been a lot of talk about the northern part of California breaking away from its nether regions to form one or more new states. Last September, before a standing-room-only crowd of 40, Modoc County …

2 Sic, Yes, Good Catch Re: Unreal Estate, February 6. If the quoted word “mantle” required a [sic] then the word “florescent” should also have had one, yes? Name Withheld Poway No Common Denominator From …

Post Title: Fruit of the Matter Post Date: September 30, 2013 “I felt like I needed a detox from my life,” Yovana Mendoza explains early into our visit to the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market, moments before …

I meet this friend for lunch once a month. His name is Bud. Forty years ago Bud was swigging Scotch in an officers’ club. I was in Berkeley handing out anti-war pamphlets. Now we’re both …

The Nativity of Christ Behold the father is his daughter’s son, The bird that built the nest is hatch’d therein, The old of years an hour hath not outrun, Eternal life to live doth now …

Each March I make my pilgrimage to the desert to pay homage to the world’s greatest tennis players. Framed by the snow-summitted Mt. San Jacinto, the BNP Paribas Open is hosted at the Indian Wells …

Over 40 people in steampunk garb (Victorian dress meets sci-fi/time traveler) were turned away from the Westfield Plaza Mall in Carlsbad on February 9 — mall security told them to leave because they were breaking …

Watching Kevin Burdette perform a comedic opera is kind of like watching Jim Carey perform opera — only Kevin sings better. Kevin is a lanky bass from Knoxville who nearly stole the show last season …

About 45 volunteers learned how to do surveys of the year-old Marine Protected Areas on February 8 at Scripps Oceanographic Institute and on the beach near the pier. San Diego Coastkeeper and Wildcoast, two clean-water …

A good 20 years late to the dance, My Goodness is a Seattle-based blues-rock power duo that seems bent on re-inhabiting grunge. No complaints from me. Among my all-time favorites include Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, …

Saturday, February 15, the Save Our Heritage Organization offers two screenings of D. W. Griffith’s silent film, Ramona. Griffith based the 1910 movie on Helen Hunt Jackson’s best seller about star-crossed lovers in 1850, the …

I swear. If I see the word "curated" one more time I'm gonna scream. "Curated," "hand-crafted" "flights" of booze, food, you name it... the hand-ringing pretentiousness has swept like a virus through the menus of …

Spy, a sunglass company based in Carlsbad, has created controversy again, with their newest billboard on Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas. Last week, a new (possibly provocative) billboard message was put up to promote the …

Three of the ten speakers at the City of La Mesa's Town Hall meeting on February 6 talked about the effect of school traffic in their neighborhoods. Two residents spoke about traffic around Rolando Elementary …

San Diego author Sarka-Jonae Miller was recently named as a runner-up in the MARSocial Author of the Year contest for her novel, Between Boyfriends. Had she won, her book would have been on the fast …

The battle to build a subsidized arena for the Sacramento Kings professional basketball team has long been tied to San Diego. The team, bought last year by a big-money high-tech partnership including Qualcomm chairman Paul …

More than 100 people turned out for the first public workshop to write a new master plan for McClellan Palomar Airport on February 5, as the county works to draft an updated plan. The current …

When a restaurant describes itself as having "a new dining concept based on the ancient art of sausage making," a lot of thoughts pass through my head, but two words that don't leap to mind …

Two weeks before the San Diego City Council is set to discuss a new medical marijuana ordinance, the Code Enforcement department, under the direction of city attorney Jan Goldsmith, remains poised to shut down and …

Wednesday 12 Mark Dresser performs solo at the Conrad Prebys Music Center. (UCSD). Dresser only does this once a year, and last year’s show was off the charts. 7 p.m. $ 15.50 Gilbert Castellanos presents …

The San Diego Theater Critics Circle held its 12th annual awards ceremony last night. Congratulations to the winners, the nominees, and the entire community of theater artists for one heck of a year. Resident Musical: …

Last Monday, February 3, employees arriving at the Beach House Restaurant in Cardiff were surprised to learn they no longer had a job. Servers Justin and Dylan arrived at 10:00 a.m. to find the owners …

When the short-lived branch of the Barbecue Pit on University Avenue closed, North Park remained without ‘cue for a good while, until BBQ 81 opened up with the promise of ribs and tri-tip on El …

The San Diego City Council today (February 10) agreed to pay Irene McCormack Jackson, former publicist for ex-mayor Bob Filner, $250,000 for sexual harassment she allegedly endured from the mayor. In cases such as this, …

The Veterans Village of San Diego cold-weather shelter, located at 2801 1/2 Sports Arena Boulevard, is designed to be a refuge for veterans who are on the street and need a bed for a while …

THINKING ABOUT MAYBE VOTING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, BARRIO LOGAN — Mayoral candidate David Alvarez's campaign manager today issued a semi-formal quasi-disavowal of a pro-Alvarez endorsement from the famed Latino comedy duo of Cheech Marin and …

The Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra is presenting the "An American Experience" concert next weekend. This showcase of American composers will begin at 8 pm on February the 15th at Crill Hall on the Point Loma Nazarene …

GIRDING MY LOINS FOR THE COMING TRIBULATION, GOLDEN HALL — Mayoral candidate Kevin Faulconer's campaign manager today issued a semi-formal quasi-disavowal of a pro-Faulconer ad placed in local shopping circulars by the Sons of Free …

“You're never too fat for a new purse.” ― Nia Vardalos I gained a couple of pounds over the holiday season. As a result of my refusal to go up a dress size, I have …

The venerable Marine Corps Times, for years a source of independent news both bad and good about the U.S. Marine Corps, is being evicted from its familiar newsstand at checkout stations and moved to the …

A political action committee going by the name "Hispanic 100" has taken to the airwaves in an effort to attract voters to their cause. Only, the candidate they support isn't the one with Hispanic heritage. …

When it comes to craft beer bars and restaurants, it’s important to the success of such a venture (at least in San Diego, where there’s such a high level of competition) to have an owner …

"Hitler was a vegetarian. Therefore, vegetarians are bad people." "Sammy is a con artist. Sammy wears black socks. Therefore, all people who wear black socks are con artists." "You have friends who are not physically …

Here and there, wise and courageous citizens are rising up to oppose taxpayer subsidies for sports facilities in which private interests rake in all the money. The retired treasurer of Scottsdale told the Arizona Republic …

Matthew Nathan Terrell, 28, was sentenced to six years prison for the attempted rape of a young woman he had met on the internet just the day before. A San Diego County Superior Court judge …

Bruges can easily be called one of Belgium's greatest tourist traps. Loads of expensive restaurants, hundreds of surely overpriced hotels and many, many tourists. Thanks to a great guide, though, I experienced an idyllic moment …

On February 6, the San Diego County Board of Education held a meeting in the Sweetwater Union High School District boardroom to receive community input on the issue of area representation within the Sweetwater district. …

Today's (February 9) New York Times features a story on Tuesday's San Diego election. The publication Politico did the same February 5. Both articles stress the populist approach of David Alvarez combatting the business-oriented slant …

In 1995, Crumbs was Lynn Nottage’s breakout play. She went on to write Intimate Apparel (2003) and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ruined (2007). Moxie Theatre’s fine production has breakout written all over it as well. Under …

The Cohn restaurant empire has seen more successes than setbacks in recent memory, and landing the restaurant spot at Imperial Beach’s Pier South Resort fits smartly into the former category. SEA180 — so named for …

Environmental health activists on February 6 decried the approval of the Pio Pico power plant by the California Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco the day before, saying that the fossil-fuel-burning plant isn't needed and …

“It’s a huge expense financially and environmentally it’s a disaster, but nine out of 10 people prefer it,” says David Spatafore, owner of two Village Pizzerias in Coronado. The “it” he is referring to, is …

Business at U-T San Diego may not be as good as expected, according to a February 6 company memo, but its publisher, La Jolla real estate developer and hotel magnate Douglas Manchester, has come up …

How does a modern day San Diego brewing business go about celebrating a quarter-century of continual operation? It’s a daunting task and there is no blueprint for it, as none of our county’s 70 brewing …

The Reader’s Local Music Database now has over 3,700 individual band pages, covering performers from the 1950s through today. Most pages also include custom-created band histories, membership rosters then and now, discographies, MP3s, videos, links …

I spent a disproportionate number of my high school days eating katsu from a small, family-owned restaurant just outside the gate of a military base on Okinawa. Attempts to replicate the experience in San Diego …

The San Diego City Council on February 4 unanimously approved plans and specifications for two downtown restrooms (Portland Loos) to be placed in the East Village. They will be installed at the northwest corner of …

Nearly three years after city councilmembers repealed San Diego's first medical marijuana ordinance instead of placing it on the ballot, a new ordinance has finally made its way back to the dais. The council will …

Y'all have seen All About Eve, right? [Um, if you haven't, spoilers ahead.] It's a classic backstage story of a fame-hungry woman who decides that her best bet is to learn how to act. But …

Of course, the real tragedy is the addiction and death. But there is also this: Hoffman could have been truly amazing in that great will-o-the-wisp of films, the adaptation of John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy …

This is Rosanne Cash's first collection of original material in eight years. The daughter of country-music royalty, Cash is done writing songs about her rebellious youth and her traumatic marriage to Rodney Crowell. Although she …

A man considered a fugitive when he failed to show up for a jury verdict was declared dead by suicide in a report released by the San Diego County Medical Examiner on January 30. Joseph …

Two California daily newspapers (not the one in San Diego) are reporting that Kevin Sloat of the Sacramento-based Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates lobbying firm is about to cut a deal with the Fair Political …

Thud! Thud! Monstrous footsteps echo throughout the room. “Oh no, can it be,” singer Eric Bloom’s voice quivers. “Rising out of the Pacific Ocean, he lurches his way toward San Diego!” The footsteps grow louder …

Some restaurants open with fireworks and frenzied PR campaigns. Others do so with extreme quietude. Barleyanfigs, a new Greek restaurant near Windansea, chose the latter option after a prolonged period spent refurbishing a former pizza …

Late last year, the journalistic tables were turned on me as I, the perennial interviewer, became the interviewee. The reason for this 180-degree shift was the release of my e-book, the San Diego Beer News …

According to the publication Politico, Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political action group tied to multibillionaires David and Charles Koch, wil put $145,000 into ads on San Diego area cable TV stations in an attempt …

Following a disappointing 2013, John Lynch, chief executive officer of the Union-Tribune, has lost management of day-to-day operations at the Union-Tribune. Mike Hodges, president and chief operating officer, will take on these duties, he said …

We haven't heard much of Yung Chang in these parts since Up the Yangtze, his exacting impressionistic documentary on China's ever-changing landscape during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, played the Landmark Hillcrest in …

FOLLOWING THE MONEY IN CIRCLES, DOWNTOWN — District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis received over 25 different contributions to her terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad mayoral campaign that were in some way connected to Azano Matsura, the …

When it comes to picking up campaign tabs for San Diego's two mayoral candidates, the city's main restaurant lobby appears to favor Republican Kevin Faulconer over his Democratic city-council colleague David Alvarez. Latest contributions to …

In his excellent book, How to Do Shakespeare, Adrian Noble says “the golden rule is to make the audience listen.” Noble lists several ways. I would add one more: when you “do” Shakespeare, or theater …

With Pagliacci in the books at San Diego Opera, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra returns to the Jacobs Music Center for a concert off the beaten path this coming weekend. The first rarity of the …

When Donald Lockhart, the executive chef at Cusp Restaurant in La Jolla, isn’t creating menus, he’s writing children's books. “I enjoy playing with food ingredients and words,” he says. “In both, the simplest things work …

Next week, February 12, a council committee is set to discuss new regulations governing food trucks in San Diego. The proposed regulations would essentially ban truck operators from pulling up in San Diego's busiest entertainment …

TRYING TO TIME MY CAMERA TO CATCH THAT FIRST SPURT OF BLOOD, SEAWORLD — When young Max Guinn sees a problem, he sets out to do something about it. Guinn, the cofounder of Kids Eco …

Due more to bad luck than to any exhilarating lifestyle choice, I've found a nail stuck in my tire four times the past two years. It's made me somewhat of a regular at a Grant …

What brought you to this bookstore? “I found it on the internet and thought I’d like to come.” Have you found anything interesting? “Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo. It looks like a Russian story. …

It was a cold and windy Saturday evening when I made my way to the Otay area of Tijuana for the unveiling of a 70.5´ x 23´ mural in the back of a strip mall …

California Highway Patrol officer Adam DeGraffenreid said the license plate on the red Honda Accord came back registered to a Toyota on the afternoon of October 19, 2013. The driver said his name was Christian …

The State Bar of California has suspended Iwo Ostoja-Lojasiewicz for 90 days and placed him on two years of probation for trying to serve a subpoena on superior-court judge Timothy B. Taylor at his home …

Have you ever walked into a restaurant, perused the menu, and felt like it was custom-designed around your taste? It’s a rare occurrence, but every now and then, it’s like a chef has reached into …

I want to believe that when we talk about drones — also known as unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned aerial systems — whose bodies vary from pterodactyl-big to mosquito-small (the Robobee, a robotic insect, weighs …

A small but vocal group of activists organized by Presente.org and the Courage Campaign may have taken a wrong turn Tuesday afternoon, February 4, while attempting to deliver a pair of petitions. In a two-week …

Throughout 2013, the Reader reported on Castle Park Middle School’s extracurricular priorities: recruiting Sweetwater students to Alliant, a costly private university; extending the Steven Hawking charter school into the Castle Park Middle site; questionable spending …

Asked how San Diego treats his now-L.A.–based band Xiu Xiu, singer Jamie Stewart tells the Reader via email: “It has been mixed. There have been shows that were totally sold out and the people were …

It's being billed as "Love and agony, Shakespeare style," when National Theatre Live! and Broadway HD bring the Bard to the big screen at Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15. Based on the life of legendary Roman …

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Philip Seymour Hoffman died leaving behind only one crucial scene to film in order to tie up his character's plot thread in the final Hunger Games sequel. It was today …

Superior-court judge Ronald S. Prager has ruled that Michael Shames, former head of Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN), owes $104,609 in fees and costs to the parties he unsuccessfully sued for defamation and related transgressions. …

Motorists traveling northbound on I-5 through Camp Pendleton have probably noticed the slow disappearance of the old, rusty, white railroad bridge over the Santa Margarita River. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company built …

A culinary expedition: journalist resolves to achieve edible incapacitation in the Aloha state. Let us resolve to gain weight this new year! Known as the melting pot of the Pacific, Hawaii is home to hundreds …

“I know that, when with Fleetwood Mac, we played San Diego back in the late ’60s, but I don’t remember much about it, except it was in a large hall of some kind,” says Jeremy …

In 1949, Tahitian artist Felix Lynch opened up what is now San Diego’s oldest tattoo shop, at 317 F Street, catering to sailors who landed in port just blocks away. Six location changes and two …

San Diego district attorney Bonnie Dumanis, under scrutiny in part as a result of a trove of campaign cash she got from employees of La Jolla luxury-car dealer Marc Chase in 2011, has accepted at …

“It’s Hook’s cheddar. Costs $40 a pound. That would come to about $15 per sandwich.”

Schitzophonics have a record-release party set for February 8 at the Casbah, on a bill that includes Neighbors to the North, Amerikan Bear, and Gloomsday. “It’s a three-song seven-inch that Munster Records is putting out,” …

Bethany, by Laura Marks Old Globe Theatre, Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Balboa Park Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch; cast: Carlo Alban, DeAnna Driscoll, Jennifer Ferrin, Amanda Naughton, James Shanklin, Sylvia M’Lafi Thompson; scenic design …

Former city attorney Michael Aguirre was scheduled to hold a press conference at the park at Harbor Island at 11 a.m. this morning (Feb. 5) to endorse Kevin Faulconer for mayor. In an interview earlier …

“Curves are in, and I am going to work on making those curves look delicious.”

We’re talking real money. The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City cost $2 billion to produce. The 2006 edition in Turin, Italy, cost $4.1 billion. Four years later, in Vancouver, the bill was $8 …

The San Diego Jewish Film Festival ushers in its 24th year with a showcase of 60 shorts, documentaries, and features chosen from across the globe. With this year’s film festival comes two fresh faces: publicist …

Part One Herbert Howe Bancroft: “There is no evidence that Father José Maria de Zalvidea ever had an enemy or said an unkind word to any man…. He was doubtless a model missionary, and then …

Current Owner: Rita Gregory Listing Price: $5,750,000 Beds: 8 | Baths: 10 The small, mostly agricultural town of Rainbow, population 1832, sits at the northernmost point of San Diego County along the border of Riverside. …

Democratic freshman congressman Juan Vargas, who has found himself uncomfortably caught up in San Diego’s latest political-corruption scandal, has scheduled his latest big-money fundraiser, this one to feature House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. …

Anything but a newcomer to electronic music, Aaron Hastings (aka Arkon) has hosted local late nights such as Ajna After Hours, Bordello Breaks, Trance Mission, and — starting in 2007 — began working alongside Gage …

Nestled in the hills of Linda Vista, inside a spacious building overlooking San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline, is the headquarters to the San Diego County Office of Education. The government agency is responsible …

Money demands seem never to stop growing at San Diego State University, despite 2012’s voter approval of Jerry Brown’s massive state-tax increase. So the venerable institution — led by president Elliot Hirshman, who famously makes …

Sunset Mountain takes its name from the last rays of sunshine that enshroud the top with the setting sun. The 3657-foot peak is located south of SR-78 between Pinyon Wash and Harper Canyon. From the …

Judging by the Cover Just seeing the January 30 cover, “I Only Date Vegans,” was enough for me to decide I did not want to read the article. Al Stanko Alpine That’s Weird You guys …

Post Title: Concrete Thinking: How to Make Mod, Stackable Sculptures with Cinder Blocks Post Date: November 27, 2013 “What is garden art to you?” That was the theme of the night during this week’s #GardenChat, …

Contact: 3288 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego 619-640-2020; shilohspiritualcenter.com Membership: 50 Pastor: Reverend Roxie Hart Age: “Young enough to enjoy life and old enough to know I really want to.” Born: Oakland Formation: Holmes Institute, …

My life is all about magic these days, but I love Practical Magic because it’s really about sisters and how powerful that bond can be. Some very grounded performances from Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman …

The Karate Kid. No, I don’t mean The Karate Kid with Will Smith’s baby boy and Jackie Chan — I mean the only real Karate Kid with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita! I have great …

Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Mark Caro opened up a whole new world of cinema for me with Delicatessen. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic future where food is scarce. A landlord of an apartment building, …

Last year, the San Diego economy, adjusted for inflation, grew faster than both the state and the nation. This year, though, the standings will flip, says Kelly Cunningham, economist for the National University System Institute …

Who did Marco Polo Cortes lobby and when did he lobby them? That's the question making the rounds of San Diego city hall in the wake of the lobbyist's arrest on federal charges related to …

"Sometimes," says Wes, "late at night, when I'm cleaning up and nobody's around, you feel them. You don't exactly hear them or see them, but you feel them. The spirits." He's talking about the women …

A crowd of protesters was posted again outside federal buildings at the corner of Broadway and Front Street on Monday night, February 3, promising stiff opposition to the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would transport …

The Uptown District Shopping Center at 1030 University Avenue in Hillcrest, built in the early ’90s, is a busy location. But vacancies have been popping up in the 148,638-square-foot urban center, anchored by Ralphs. The …

Though unlike in countless ways, Joe Orton and Larry Shue shared two things in common: one comic, the other tragic. They wrote two of the funniest plays in the English language, and both died young. …

Something you don’t hear every day: musical saw. And a virtuoso musical saw at that, which is hard to define since there are so few people practicing that antediluvian backwoods art. Opera singer Ursula Knudsen …

The Nevada governor's Office of Energy has approved $66 million in tax incentives for Sempra Energy to build a solar project in Boulder City in Southern Nevada, 20 miles from Las Vegas. The tax breaks …

A certain La Jolla resident/presidential candidate made the wrong kind of headlines a couple years ago when he suggested not enough Americans have the entrepreneurial spirit required to borrow twenty grand from their parents to …

Two men who got shot while trying to rob Uncle Tony's Italian restaurant in Vista admitted to assault with a firearm, and each can expect four years in prison, according to their plea-deal paperwork. Louis …

I spent much of yesterday interviewing people about the February 2004 firing of Neil Morgan, who died February 1 this year at 89. People who were close to the situation told me that Morgan's firing …

On February 1, close to 300 friends and family showed up at the Kraken on Coast Highway 101 for a remembrance and celebration of life of Oceanside resident Hugh Williams. Williams was killed on the …

For me, Hash House has always been a scene-y brunch spot for the not-hungover-so-much-as-still-drunk group of friends. There’s a somewhat-annoying, but “fun to mingle in if you know a bunch of people in the hood” …

The Protect Our Jobs Coalition — the group spearheading the referendum aimed at overturning the Barrio Logan Community Plan — has spent $730,000 on the petition drive, legal fees, and consultants who were working to …

According to Smith Travel Research figures, San Diego's hotel occupancy rate last year climbed only 1.5%, to 71.6%; that lagged the nation's top 25 markets with a combined rise of 2.1%. San Diego also lagged …

Whether the city should impose a so-called “linkage fee” on new commercial development to subsidize low-income housing has been at the top of the list of controversies dominating the race for mayor between Kevin Faulconer …

Tuesday 4 Dutch drummer Han Bennink is joined by Mary Oliver on violin, Mark Dresser on bass, and Michael Dessen on trombone at UCSD’s Loft. Fresh off a hit at L.A.’s Blue Whale, this band …

“We’re essentially one-third the size of DC Comics, as far as our market share is concerned,” says Chris Ryall, editor-in-chief at San Diego-based IDW Publishing, the fourth-largest comic book publisher in the country . The …

As a family of four with two preadolescent children, we’re often looking for fun, active ways to explore our own beautiful city without spending too much money. San Diego’s sunny, laid-back disposition creates an ideal …

The orderly rows of architecturally identical old Naval buildings of Liberty Station are not the easiest to navigate. But I'm more than willing to get lost for a few minutes on a quest for a …

Protesters took to the streets near the intersection of Front Street and Broadway downtown on January 31 to denounce efforts to "fast track" approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and, more broadly, free-trade agreements of …

The most anticipated brewery opening of 2014 is that of Bagby Beer Company. As reported in September, it is the passion project of award-winning former Pizza Port director of brewery operations Jeff Bagby and his …

Allied Gardens Navajo Community Planners, Inc., on January 27 voted unanimously to "support the idea in concept" of the Cliffs mobile home park's proposal for an emergency evacuation easement on land owned by the Allied …

King tides, the highest of high-water marks that come around just a few times each year, became evident at beaches and bays across San Diego during the past week. Environmental and water-quality advocacy group San …

It had been a frustrating day so far — putting out work-related fires and waiting around for a plumber for actual water issues; before I knew it, it was 3 p.m. and neither David nor …

Facebook post: “I'm in love with Tijuana.” Comment reply by David Duran: “Until you make love to La Maguana I'm not going to believe that you truly love this city.” If you have walked around …

Some of America's biggest military contractors are on a big-money warpath against the Barrio Logan community plan that has become a proxy battlefield for Republican city councilman Kevin Faulconer and his Democratic colleague David Alvarez …

Neil Morgan, one of the greats of San Diego journalism — maybe the greatest — died Saturday, February 1, at 89 years of age. He was a skilled writer who could praise San Diego but …

Texas media are wondering what's holding up the beginning of Papa Doug Manchester's 1035-room hotel in downtown Austin, to be named the Fairmont. A headline in the Austin Business Journal this week asked, "Hotels abound …

Read part one of this interview. Claudio Raygoza, artistic director of Ion Theatre, and Glenn Paris, the producing director, stage plays in a 49-seat theater, with obviously special demands. They include others for the plays …

The La Mesa Community Services Commission on January 29 denied the USA Pickleball Association's request to remove the tennis court at Collier Park and replace it with four pickleball courts. Pickleball was created in Washington …

For all the talk in the past few years of East Village having become someplace worth being — with upscale restaurants, condo developments, an urban ballpark, and a big new public library – it's got …

Turns out, it probably isn't the best idea to appoint a hotelier to San Diego's Convention Center board of directors. Considering that many hotels depend on revenue from large conventions but also due to the …

Last August, news of a fatal accident at Stone Brewing Co. made its way across the Internet, radio, and airwaves. Many reports listed the victim as merely a “worker,” “employee,” or “brewer.” Eventually, the media …

Korean War veteran Vic Caruana is known throughout coastal North County as “the flag guy.” He helps local businesses maintain their American flags and takes part in flag-raising ceremonies. On January 31, Caruana was asked …