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News & Politics Neighborhood News News Ticker Under the Radar

Food & Drink Beverage News Booze News Drinks All Around Feast! San Diego Beer Tin Fork

Movies Big Screen Movie Archives Movie Reviews Movies@Home

Happenings Fishing Report Outdoors Reader Travel Roam-O-Rama Surf Diego Theater Your Week

Music Blurt Classical Music The Gonzo Report Live Five Musician Interviews Of Note Upcoming Shows

Comics Famous Former Neighbors Obermeyer Overheard in San Diego

Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news

News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

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Bob McPhail

Bob McPhail is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.

More parking problems soon for La Jolla’s VA Medical Center

If you are able, another alternative is to park at the Old Town trolley stop and take the 150 express bus to the VA, which drops you right in front of the hospital. Plenty of parking in Old Town, and the bus trip on the 150 is only about 15 minutes.
— January 5, 2013 12:33 p.m.

Watchdog Institute, U-T to End Relationship

Lorie Hearn? Now there's a real gem of journalistic ethics for you. She seems to weather whatever storm blows her way. Wonder how?
— August 20, 2010 12:06 p.m.

In San Diego, Sherrod Says She'll Sue Breitbart

SurfPuppy -- you've got to be kidding me. Sherrod is not a public figure? Of course she is, and in that capacity, she was speaking to a chapter of the NAACP. Invasion of privacy? She was speaking at a PUBLIC event. False light? Where's the actual malice? Love to see someone try to prove that. Besides, false light lawsuits are increasingly restricted in the US -- except in the case of PRIVATE citizens who are WRONGLY portrayed. Don't think your theory fits the facts. Everyone seems to want to jump on the bandwagon here and bash Breitbart and sympathize with Sherrod. But if you review the facts carefully and dispassionately, she is not completely without blame either. Let her sue. She'll get nowhere -- probably tossed on summary judgment.
— August 1, 2010 5:26 p.m.

In San Diego, Sherrod Says She'll Sue Breitbart

No, Nan, I wouldn't like it at all. But every harm we suffer in life is not actionable in court. Going overboard, as you and many other posters here seem to suggest, would have a tremendously chilling effect on the exercise of free speech. Just imagine, you could be sued for something you post on this -- or other -- comments boards. You are mistaken if you think I feel any sympathy for Breitbart. I don't. But I'll defend to the death his right to do what he did. Sherrod's beef is with the Obama Administration and the NAACP... they are the ones who truly harmed her.
— August 1, 2010 5:16 p.m.

In San Diego, Sherrod Says She'll Sue Breitbart

Sue him for what? Truth is an absolute defense to libel and there was nothing untruthful about what he posted. Context is in the mind of the beholder, otherwise coverage of a city council meeting would mean just reprinting verbatim the minutes of the meeting. Besides, the lady did say a few things that at least intimated racism -- "his kind," for example. She should sue the NAACP, the president, the Secretary of Agriculture. But the blogger -- though he had a point of view -- did not break any libel or defamation laws. If selecting parts of an interview or speech to post is actionable in court, then start with 60 Minutes producers... or for that matter, any news broadcast that selects clips to make a point, whether in the interest of "newsworthiness" or to make a point.
— July 31, 2010 2:50 p.m.

Union-Tribune. got rid of more than 30 editors and reporters

The survival of print journalism will depend on at least two things: (1) a niche audience, and (2) a willingness by publishers to accept much lower rates of profitability. For too long, daily newspapers made obscene amounts of money -- and apparently never imagined tough times could fall upon them. Newspapers have fallen prey to the same fate as so many other businesses in our current economy -- virtually no more family-owned local papers, replaced by corporate journalism with one thing in mind: making as much dough as possible. I greatly respect Mr. Bauder and find his work always worth reading. But the NYT? Come on -- the paper has become so captive of a particular point of view and has so blurred the line between reporting and opinion that it is almost not worth reading -- unless you understand that you are not reading real reporting anymore. I'd give the Wall Street Journal a much better chance of long-term survival -- and personally find it much more worth reading than the TImes. Advice to Don re: NYT shares -- sell, sell, sell!
— July 10, 2010 2:21 p.m.

Union-Tribune to Shrink Width of Paper

Last week I was at a Von's in the South Bay where I encountered a fellow trying to give away the U-T and offering a 10% off coupon on my Von's purchases for the day if I would take a trial, one-month subscription to the U-T. I declined the subscription offer, so didn't get my discount, but I did take the free paper. Big waste of time. When I got home and decided to read the paper, there was almost nothing in it I had not already read elsewhere. I suppose if you're interested in car crashes, liquor store stick-ups and other crime news, you might actually be able to get some real "news" from the U-T. Graphically, it's ugly and grey and lacks imagination. I did keep it, though, so I could use it to wrap glass items in the event of a move I am anticipating. Sad to see the paper fall so far so fast. Never was a big fan, but they once had a few writers worth reading, with good coverage of coastal issues by reporters like Terry Rodgers, who is no longer with them. For a major metro, today the paper looks more like a suburban daily or a neighborhood weekly. But that's one big plus for the Reader -- at least here I can read about things I would never have been aware of but for the hard work of folks like Matt Potter and Dan Bauder. Keep it up and you likely will soon surpass the U-T in circulation.
— May 15, 2010 11:29 a.m.

I Got Punked in Tijuana

So what was the final deal with Chito? Inquiring minds want to know...
— April 25, 2010 5:41 p.m.

Six Bars Left

Sad times on old revu. One caveat about the story: it's a real stretch to say La Placita and the Nelson "offer fine dining." La Placita is mostly a basic menu Mexican food stop for tourists, the Nelson is more akin to a diner or greasy spoon -- although the food at both places is pretty good. But "fine dining" -- nah.
— April 25, 2010 5:30 p.m.

Welfare Demanded

"Plagiarize" means to pass off someone else's work as your own. In this instance, the writer identifies his source clearly -- and I seriously doubt he took whole passages from Frontera and claimed them as his own. Besides, have you taken a look at other newspapers, television news or the press services lately? How many times have you seen, "The New York Times reported," or "The Wall Street Journal reported," Just this week there was a widely re-distributed item from the AP on the dubious validity of the White House's claims about jobs saved or created by the "stimulus." Back in the day, when there was more than one major national news service, almost all news services had a "rewrite desk," where, basically, stories from all the major newspapers in a bureau's service area were, well, rewritten -- sometimes with, sometimes without attribution. So what you are seeing here is not even close to plagiarism -- and hardly a deviation from acceptable journalistic practices. Of course, originally sourced reporting is preferred, but it would certainly limit the flow of information. Just imagine if only percipient witnesses were allowed to do crime reporting. No more "according to police reports." No more news from CHP on traffic accidents. No more secondhand reports on trial results from the DA. The standard you suggest would strangle the flow of important news to readers. Again, it's always better "if you were there" when it comes to reporting. But it is not always possible and, as a standard, it's very unrealistic. One reason sources are provided, by the way, is so you can determine for yourself their credibility. I agree with refried -- better some news in the Reader about Baja, even if secondhand, than nothing at all. Look at all the comments these Baja stories generate. Certainly that give-and-take is valuable and allows for correction or clarification -- something refried has done often on stories here.
— October 31, 2009 8:28 p.m.

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News & Politics Neighborhood News News Ticker Under the Radar

Food & Drink Beverage News Booze News Drinks All Around Feast! San Diego Beer Tin Fork

Movies Big Screen Movie Archives Movie Reviews Movies@Home

Happenings Fishing Report Outdoors Reader Travel Roam-O-Rama Surf Diego Theater Your Week

Music Blurt Classical Music The Gonzo Report Live Five Musician Interviews Of Note Upcoming Shows

Comics Famous Former Neighbors Obermeyer Overheard in San Diego

Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

See all neighborhoods

February 28, 2024

February 21, 2024

February 14, 2024

February 7, 2024

See previous issues